Day 92, Post-Op Macy's Kuletos San Fran Blues: Sunday, December 18th!

You must protest / It is your diamond duty / Ah but in such an ugly time the true protest is beauty. -Phil Ochs, folksinger (19 Dec 1940-1976)

Wishing you all a peaceful Christmas. Not sure how peaceful it will be here since Marnie, Ant, Tris and the dog will be staying for a few days. It's always a challenge keeping the cat and dog separated. A lot of maneuvering goes on!
Just returned from a few days on Queen Victoria with Maur and Bill. Very relaxing. We are now busy at Trelissick until Thursday being Santa's elves and helping in the pop up cafes around the Estate. 
 

It has been unseasonably mild. Snowdrops have already started to pop their heads through the soil and tulips I planted in pots in the autumn are already a few inches high. This will be the first Christmas for Audrey without Brian. She is doing well but finds it lonely at times. One of us is always popping in and we all meet up regularly for coffee or lunch. Have a festive time. I'm sure Chloe will be joining you. Give her our love Best wishes to you both, Derek and Gayle Hi Mike! Great to meet you at Coffaro Winery! Thanks for the lunch! After we left you, we had an easy drive to Berkeley and enjoyed a lovely time with close friends there. Left today to arrive in LA around 4:00 pm at our daughter's place.

After we unloaded the car, (five cases of wine, along with rest of baggage!), I washed my road bike as it was filthy, mainly from all the snow and slush and grit we travelled through, en route to Portland. Tomorrow I plan to go for my first ride, since September 5th, as I had my left hip-replaced about a week after that. Three month prohibition about riding a free standing bike was over on December 14th so I'm really looking forward to being back in the saddle again Will be a busy time over this coming week, for everyone, I'm sure, so wanted to send along the name of one of the wineries I suggest you visit when in Paso Robles, Zenaida Cellars. We have always enjoyed their wine, the reds in particular. So many other terrific wineries in the area/region that I'm sure you won't have any difficulty discovering the ones that suit your own tastes.

Lovely to meet you and your friends so Happy Christmas to one and all and a Healthy New Year. Keep in touch if you are planning to visit the Okanagan. All the best. Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: Lady Dar and I, with Cactus, our friend in Berkeley, taken by Donna Florida, his wife, as I still hadn't found my camera. 

Today we met Amos, [LS classmate of Lady Dar's], and his wife Pat, [library colleague of David's Berkeley!], at Kuletos, a wonderful Italian restaurant, on Powell, just up from the BART Station. Cactus very generously chauffeured us. [En route to SF had a great chat with a couple headed to SFO, to fly to Nashville, and husband was delighted when I said I wanted to visit bourbon distilleries in Tennessee. He said he'd prefer to taste rather than visit with in-laws!] We were an hour early so did a bit of Christmas shopping at the near-bye Macy's.

Very tasty meal and a good visit for about two hours. After saying goodbye, back to Macy's to buy, (now with Lady Dar's colour approval), a small gift, [I had scoped it earlier but was "afraid" to buy anything until I had "consulted"!], for Chloë. Then down Powell, back to BART station to take train to North Berkeley, [Another interesting chat with a lovely young woman and her daughter, 8 or so, back from viewing the kittens and puppies in Macy's windows. (We'd seen them, as well, but although they were adorable, not a patch on our felines, of course!)], where D/N collected us. We had arranged time to coincide with the end of the concert they were attending that afternoon.

Hi Corinne - here are the photos. I tried to edit them somewhat. We really enjoyed meeting you both today. Hope we can do this more in the future. Say hello to Ayn. See you both next May in Vancouver. Cheers, Amos & Pat

Once home we enjoyed a couple of bottles of white before we sat down to Corvina Sea Bass with a bottle of 2012 Coffaro Petit Verdot, 14.7% and a 2104 Birchino Saint Georges Zinfandel, 14.0%, flying fast in the face of James Bond, [From Russia With Love], when Bond realizes that the Russian spy, played by Robert Shaw, is a spy because he orders red wine with fish!, with broccoli, rice and a tasty mixed green saladin. Malt for dessert!
 

WOW! I was trying to find out more about the 36 make-up bottles that Shelter Point so graciously supplied us for that nasty angel who took a large share, and here’s what I found: The Shelter Point Distiller’s Select Cask Strength bottle is available for pre-order at Kensington Wine Market for $109.99!!!

These guys have treated us very special and deserve at least a Like on their Facebook page. Better yet, have a taste and post a review on their page, send out a bunch of tweets, or if you’re old school, write them a letter, put a stamp on it and put it in the mail. It’s a wonderful dram! Stuart  

Dear Patrick, Your love of cast strength is fulfilled. We did the pickup today. Stuart said that the bonus bottle, which is 5 parts scotch, 1 part rye, is delicious. Hope your drive went well and that you're enjoying California sunshine. Cheers from minus 10-land. Peter
 
Hope you get this! Maggie�� The Carr Clan - Christmas 2016 Here we are with another Christmas season upon us. A year ago last July, Frank & I moved to Parksville on Vancouver Island. After much discussion, we made the difficult decision to forego our usual trek south to AZ & experience an island winter. Unfortunately, we discovered the island winter of rain & grey was not to our liking. We are now back in Yuma, seeking the active lifestyle in the sun for 5 months, our 10th season at Country Roads RV P 

Our Yuma friends are mainly from the island & most from Nanaimo, with a few exceptions from the Okanagan & Ontario. The year we stayed behind, we sure missed them!! Last December, we drove to Alberta to share almost 3 weeks of fun filled Christmas with our three daughters & their families. This year, Christmas will be in Yuma & we look forward to the arrival of my youngest living brother, Robin, on December 15 in Palm Springs. We will travel the day before to La Quinta to enjoy two days with my brother, Wayne & Barb. On a sad note, we recently lost our sister in law, Cindy Legge Leslie. Our thoughts are with her family in Toronto. RIP Cindy!!💜

Both Golf & Pickleball have Frank smiling & keeping fit these days. Maggie, recently reaching the magnificent age of 70, is currently recovering from a back injury & sticking to the sidelines, missing Zumba, Golf & her 10 pin Bowling League for now. The Chiropractor's clinic is her main outing. On the bright side, the treatments are working & improvement is already evident. Her girls surprised her early at a birthday dinner in Edmonton at Chianti's with tickets to Kenny Rogers final tour that very same evening. 'The Gambler' was the favourite sing a long song on family holidays in the van. The 7 grandchildren never fail to entertain us with all their antics & activities. Elijah, the eldest is now 12 & in his 6th year at the U of A Ortona Gymnastic Club, a Level 5 & eligible to compete at the National level. He is in grade 7, an excellent student & all round accomplished young man. Recently, Elijah made the team to go to Nationals in Oshawa in Tumbling. 👍��👏��The team has also been invited to a competition in Portugal the week before. His brother, Griffin, at 3 1/2, is full of beans & never ceases to surprise us with his energy & dance moves too!! 

Stephanie, 38, is their proud Mom & celebrating her one year as the Owner/Master Stylist at 'Behind the Purple Door' Salon on 106th Street off Whyte Ave in Olde Strathcona, Edmonton, as well as a Rep for Rodan & Fields, a leading skin care line. Stephanie is once again a single Mom & doing a fine job of raising her sons. Adam, an amazing Dad & self employed Commercial Housing Sider' whom we all love, continues to see the boys & play an important role in their lives. Kennedy Martyn, recently turned 9, is our eldest granddaughter. She is in grade 3 & absolutely passionate about drawing. Once a budding ballerina, she has switched her focus to skiing, although she'd love to have her own pony. I'm not sure that wish will be fulfilled, but time will tell. Her brother, Ollie, at 6 1/2, is in grade 1 & loving his second year of hockey. We definitely see some talent on the ice!

[Sara Jane McGillivray Mom loves the snow, and an opportunity to wear her mink hat and snow boots (from Prince George days 25 years ago) !! And that's the ginkgo tree with snow encrusted baubles.] Soccer is his other passion which, for now, remains to be played spring & fall. The baby of the family who steals everyone's hearts, or terrorizes them, is Katelyn, aka Winnie. Oliver couldn't pronounce her name when he was 3 & called her Katewin, hence Winnie. She is the sole ginger hair in the family, we now know goes way back on the Martyn side. Beth, 34, is the sole Owner & Operator of her successful Day-home, 'The Martyn's Nest'. As if not enough on her plate, Beth is also a Rep for Stella & Dot jewelry and is playing centre or wing on a ladies' ice hockey team as well as new this season, a ladies ball hockey team. Terry is currently working in Nanaimo as a Heavy Duty Mechanic at FDI Industries & living with his parents there to save for their dream home. The downturn in the Alberta economy has them pursuing an idyllic life on the island where Terry grew up from the age of three after his family emigrated from South Africa. We were saddened to learn that Terry's beloved Grandpa Martyn passed away recently, a week short of his 100th birthday. RIP Lou!!💜 

Art should be like a holiday: something to give a man the opportunity to see things differently and to change his point of view. -Paul Klee, painter (18 Dec 1879-1940) 

Indikah is the second eldest granddaughter. Now 8, in grade 3 French Immersion, Indi loves to fundraise. This past year, she shaved off her gorgeous dark locks for Massacure, a Stollery Children's Hospital charity, raising almost $1000.00. Both she & Kennedy are rivalling one another for Brownie badges as well as GG cookie sales to help fund their field trips. 'Drama' is Indi's other name. She should definitely pursue the stage one day. We were thrilled when Indikah rode out with good friends of ours, Karen & Geoff Baxter, last June to spend just 3 days short of a month with us. 

[Jill Roth A beautiful and peaceful morning in the vail valley.
Happy holidays!]


Besides searching for shells, consignment shopping with Grammie & working on Brownie badges with both of us, she took classes in Pottery which she loved as well as Art. We have discovered she is prolific at both. Her brother, Cassius, is now 5 1/2. Cash is also pursuing French Immersion in kindergarten. He loves both soccer & Karate/Kung Fu,/Jujitsu. Allison, 41, is a Social Worker & Team Coordinator at Chimo. Although her life is full with family & work, Alli tries to fit in running & fitness. Jake, a Plumber & Gas Fitter, is working with a new commercial plumbing business this year. His passion besides family is Disc Golf.
 

We are wishing all of our family & friends a a very Merry Christmas & a healthy and prosperous New Year! Much love, Maggie and Frank!

Dear Patrick and Corinne wishing you a very Merry Christmas and all the best for 2017. May it be a better one, as the outgoing was. 2016 was a year full of rough and disturbing times, war at each corner of the globe. May peace come in the new one. Hope you are well and enjoy life and each day what ever it brings. I am good, I have no complains, life is good and peaceful. I enjoy my little flat tremendously, it is such a lovely quiet neighbourhood. Nice to go for walks and enjoy the green space. Down town Vancouver is a mess, not pleasant, down right ugly. Well we might see you next year on our sojourn to the Okanagan. Take care all the very best HAPPY NEW YEAR love Gisela hope this reaches you, went astray in my computer. G  Hi Gisela! Thank you for the lovely Christmas message and New Year's wishes. I'm terribly sorry that it has taken me so long to reply. No excuses but plenty of reasons! We drove down to LA, (left on December 15th), and life has been a whirlwind ever since. Chloë flew down. Please let us know your Okanagan schedule as soon as you know it as we'd certainly love to see you.  Fondestos to you from Corinne. Cheers, Patrizzio! 

Hi all, Let’s make it happen! The Old Farts’ Annual Winter Solstice Snowshoe will take place on Wednesday, December 21st. As usual, we will begin at the cattleguard, snowshoe to the top of Green Mountain by headlamp, have a small celebration, and then return. We will meet at Home Hardware north parking lot at 6:00pm on Wednesday evening, carpool, and head for the Green Mountain trail which begins at the cattleguard. We should be back no later than midnight, but there are no guarantees. 

Please remember to dress warmly, bring lots of layers, have some decent snowshoes, and definitely bring a well-charged headlamp. Also, bring a small offering of the liquid or solid sort which can be shared among us at the summit. If you don’t think you will be able to make the summit, feel welcome to come along and go part of the way up the mountain. 

I ask that you let me know in advance if you will be coming (and how many). It would be much appreciated. If you have some fit company over the holiday season, you are welcome to bring them along. And further, please mark your calendars for Thursday, December 29th.. We hope to have our regular Thursday outing and invite you to bring any visiting family and friends. We will be snowshoeing but, as yet, I can’t tell you where we will be.  Cheers, Jim

The sorority threw parties seraphic,
Which soon became glaringly graphic.
As the evening progressed,
The girls slowly undressed,
The fête went from mundane to maffick.

Office parties see a young demographic
Perhaps prone to get festive and maffick.
It’s not what they’d choose
When inebriation ensues,
But just pray they stay out of the traffic.               Cries the brewer, “I’m finding it queer, all your bounding around midst the beer!” “Do you not realize,” sly rabbit replies, “that hops in these potions inhere?”