Here it is, Boxing Day, and I am wondering what friends and family are doing. Lorne is out shooting air rifle, and I have a few moments to myself. Matteo's Dad is in Jamaica for Christmas, and his Mom working over Christmas, so him and I are together lots.
We have a cool minus -28 today; Lorne and I chopped a new pile of firewood so we could enjoy our woodstove on these nights.
I am going through Mom's pictures today, to see what I can find for "old family" or "Kroeker Family" pictures to scan for a Kroeker Family Album, or book I am working towards completion of. Another Kroeker cousin has already done considerable work on it but it still needs much expansion to make it produce-able in book form.
Two weeks before Christmas Matteo and I made peppernut cookies. They were Mom's favourites for Christmas, and I always tried to persuade her to put in more anise than the recipe called for, so this was my opportunity to try it. Matteo loved playing with the dough; he played with it for two hours!
I’ve spent much of the last year in Morden, Manitoba; Lorne and I have bought what’s left of the “family farm” – 10 acres. This is a farm in the Pembina Hills 5 ½ miles south of Morden – and Morden is 75 kilometres south-west of Winnipeg. My Mother grew up there. Now we’ve arranged for the house to remain empty until I have to get back to mowing lawn (4-acres, and that takes 4 hours on our John Deere law tractor)!
The reason I’m back in Yellowknife is because Lorne and I got too lonesome for each other, but it’s good to be back in Yellowknife again. I’d forgotten how beautiful the ptarmigan’s are! It’s great to see my Grandson Matteo, and his Mom and Dad.
The reason I’m back in Yellowknife is because Lorne and I got too lonesome for each other, but it’s good to be back in Yellowknife again. I’d forgotten how beautiful the ptarmigan’s are! It’s great to see my Grandson Matteo, and his Mom and Dad.
In the other picture Lorne is reading "The Night Before Christmas" to Matteo on Christmas evening. It is a ritual at our house, made even more meaningful by reading it to an excited child! We had fun looking at Christmas through the eyes of a child.
Lorne’s two sons Buster and James (JR) are in Edmonton, and David is up in Fort McMurray. Buster is working up north as a camp cook (two weeks in, two weeks out). JR is doing carpentry work and lately he’s been working on bridges. His partner Naomi is working in their investment business and sells Mary Kay.
David drives truck for companies that are contracted to mostly Suncor. Dave and Jenn have blessed us with a Grandson named Tristen - he’ll be one on January 1st (he was the New Years baby!). Here's a picture of Tristen.
David drives truck for companies that are contracted to mostly Suncor. Dave and Jenn have blessed us with a Grandson named Tristen - he’ll be one on January 1st (he was the New Years baby!). Here's a picture of Tristen.
Life is good.
Lorne’s favourite author is Ernest Hemingway, and that’s what he’s looking forward to for Christmas. He’s got a lot of his books already, so its getting harder to dig deeper and find the others. My favourite author is Nelly McClung, and I recently found out one of the few I’m missing from that set costs $575.00 – (amazon.ca, when you can find it) When Christmas Crossed the Peace. Ernest’s Winner Take Nothing lists on Amazon at $220.00 and his Men Without Women at $155.00. Guess one of the things we’ll be doing once we retire is browse bookstores to satisfy our book-worm bug!
And that looks like it could be sometime next fall.
We would love to hear from you sometime soon, to find out how you'se all are doing.
Lorne’s favourite author is Ernest Hemingway, and that’s what he’s looking forward to for Christmas. He’s got a lot of his books already, so its getting harder to dig deeper and find the others. My favourite author is Nelly McClung, and I recently found out one of the few I’m missing from that set costs $575.00 – (amazon.ca, when you can find it) When Christmas Crossed the Peace. Ernest’s Winner Take Nothing lists on Amazon at $220.00 and his Men Without Women at $155.00. Guess one of the things we’ll be doing once we retire is browse bookstores to satisfy our book-worm bug!
And that looks like it could be sometime next fall.
We would love to hear from you sometime soon, to find out how you'se all are doing.
Best wishes for 2008!
Julie & Lorne McNeice
