Hi Patrick
How are you doing? It has been quite a while since we last wrote each other. I assume you are as busy as I am, but soon I will have plenty of time, I'll explain later on.
This spring we went to Florida again and liked it even better than the last time. Food, people, shopping and nature what more do you need!? As usual we drove around and stopped at places which we liked and spent a great deal of money, but since the Swiss Franc was much stronger than the Dollar it did not much matter.
In May Nao went to her teacher-friend in Vancouver to celebrate his 50th birthday, guess she did not have enough time to say hello to you!! After returning she told me, that she wanted a divorce. Well as shocked as I was I was somehow prepared since we developed different interests over the past years. Nao changed her diet and lost close to 12 kg, unfortunately she also changed in her mind and went dancing with her younger friends (in their late 20's and early 30's) and dressed also like that. Too bad but I am very happy that David is now almost 17 and soon has his own life. I am very involved in the company, my father turned it over to me 1 year ago (coincidence?) and my time was also limited I guess. She will be moving out latest June, David will stay with me since we have a very close relationship and Nao wants to enjoy her life now, somehow she thinks that she has missed something in her life and wants to catch up.....
In July we went to Japan to see Nao's parents for 3 weeks and she did not have the guts to tell them, anyhow food was excellent and I just enjoy travelling around and drink with my still father-in-law. David enjoyed food and shopping, my god this boy has become so fashionable. Wonder where he gets it from.
In November my father's heart stopped suddenly when he was in Hanover airport for check-in after a business meeting. Because they realized and acted promptly he is still alive. He was in a coma for about 2 weeks and is now getting better every day, they gave him a pace-maker so this cannot happen again. Hope he will take life easier and not work so much anymore and that he finally quits smoking and drinking so much! I am sure my mother will see to that :).
How about you, are you still travelling around as much as you used to?
Hope to hear from you, wish you all the best. Stefano
Hello Stefano!
Wonderful to hear from you but quite dismayed to learn of your pending divorce from Nao and your Father's heart attack. However, on both fronts, you seem to be weathering the emotional storm and stress remarkably well. Of course, we are pleased to learn that Bruno has recovered well and we wish him a full return to health. Also, happy that David seems to be taking the divorce in stride. We are disappointed that Nao didn't have time to give us a call last May. Nevertheless, we wish her well in her new life. Always extremely difficult for all parties when a marriage comes to an end. Only hope that it is the best long-term solution for everyone. Our thoughts and concern go out to everyone during this very difficult time.
Feel a bit reluctant to relate our own recent activities as don't wish to seem callous in the face of your own family upset and dislocation. However, as I'm sure you understand, and probably agree, life must go on unless one chooses to wallow in despair and misery. Onward! Fight!!
To start catch-up, Cora Lee is doing extremely well, post-operatively speaking! On December 9th she underwent corrective surgery on her right foot. First three toes had to be straightened and pinned. The ends of the pins protrude a few millimeters and have tiny Smiley Face protective caps much like ones used on iron reinforcing bars on new building works. Her own mini-construction site!!! She cannot bear weight or walk for six weeks and as a consequence has a combination skate board/mini four wheel bicycle, which she kneels upon in order to move around. Works quite well but a few days ago she ran over Maggie's tail. As you might suspect, Maggie was not overly pleased! Cora Lee reminds me of you on your crutches after your anterior cruxiate was torn!
We had a grand family Christmas ourselves. Started out on Saturday, making two very large, cafeteria style trays of stuffing for lunch for homeless at church on Christmas Day. Coriandre did all the chopping, (large bag of Spanish Onions and three large bags of celery), perched on a stool in front of counter, and sautéing mixture while I prepared Uncle Ben's stuffing, bringing liquid to a boil and "fluffing" in bread crumbs at just the right moment! Tasted pretty good for something not made completely from scratch.
We enjoyed Clarisse's home-made borscht, with sour cream, before going to 7:00pm service at Trinity. New, interim-minister, Beth Hayward, conducted a wonderful service and the tiny choir, three singers, conducted by Music Minister, Ron Smail, were simply remarkable. The two sopranos had such powerful, soaring, expressive, thrilling voices that it could have been the London Back Choir singing carols to the mesmerized congregation. The wonder on the faces of the small children opening the large wrapped present holding the Crèche figures was wondrous indeed!
Back home to ready the Christmas Eve meal. Chloë and Clara fried up the perogies, (Bought this year, from Alenka, a small Eastern European deli store owned by couple from Ukraine who came to Vancouver in 1996. They are really helpful and friendly. Didn't have time to do them ourselves, much to our chagrin!), while Dusty did Cajun spiced jumbo shrimps. Mini-bagels with garlic and herb cream cheese and a huge crock pot of baked beans completed non-meat traditional fare. I was kept busy open wine and filling Cora Lee's quickly emptied glass and by time food was ready Clan Sutherland trooped in and we sat down to enjoy the delicious meal.
Downstairs gang departed about 10:30pm and once I'd loaded dishwasher, Cora Lee and I started peeling spuds. We were donating a large bag for lunch for homeless. By the time we had the potatoes peeled and sliced and in pots of cold water, ready for the morrow's boiling, it was almost midnight and we still had to play Santa. Stockings stuffed and presents arranged neath the tree, we trundled off to bed, close to 2:00am!
Up at 7:30am to have a java with some extra delicious Avalon eggnog Chloë had brought home from GI Market the day before. I had put away most of last night's dishes before Her Majesty ambled, (as well as one can "amble" on one leg!), into living room and we wished each other Happy Christmas!
Clara and Dusty came over about 8:30am, just before Chloë started her shower. We wished everyone more Merry Christmases and over more java we put potatoes on to boil and started to ready breakfast: smoked salmon on toasted bagels, scrambled eggs and fried mushrooms. When Chloë had completed her ablutions I opened the finest Cook's California Sparklng Wine, (an exceedingly rare 1839 vintage!), mixed it with OJ and toasted each other! I then went to collect Mother at Broadway Lodge and brought her back for breakfast. Bit of difficulty putting on her coat and getting her to uncurl her fingers when trying to fit her gloves but fine, otherwise. She looked very festive in the red sweater we had given to her a few days earlier, in readiness for Christmas.
After enjoying scrumptious breakfast and a few more toasts, Chloë took Mom back to Broadway Lodge and I finished last of mashed potatoes. Was ready to go when she returned and we made for Trinity at 11:30am. Place was abuzz with activity as we brought in pans of dressing and pot of potatoes. Coats off and shirt sleeves rolled up we set to work: Chloë ferrying foodstuffs from kitchen and other food preparation areas to trestle tables set up in the narthex while I manned the sink, washing everything from serving platters to bowls for cranbeery sauce to gravy dishes to dropped utensils. Pretty strady going for about two solid hours but lots of fun and good fellowship with rest of volunteer contingent, some we knew from past lunches, others new to us and process. Towards the end of our shift we even had an incredible cup of the eggnog one of the Anglican families, (Trinity is composed of congregations from Kitsilano United and St Mark's), had to thought to bring along. Dusty would have approved as it was laced with more rum than eggnog!!! Very fluffy and frothy and certainly most drinkable as part of secret recipe, apparently, involves whipped egg whites!
So fortified we finished off the last of the chores at hand, collected our coats and oven mitts and empty pot and made for home, close to 2:00pm. On the way out, a number of the people served remembered me from past lunches. I have taken to wearing my red Crocs along with a Santa apron so I suppose I stick out a bit like Rudolph! Everyone was most appreciative and we were certainly pleased to have been able to help out, to make the lives of those less fortunate a tiny bit more comfortable, at the very least.
I had been hoping to go for a ride, with Robo Ray, around Stanley Park, once we were back from volunteering at church but by the time we were actually home, all I wanted was a nap! I phoned Raymundo to beg off and just after I put down phone I realized that I had left the pretty package of cherry cake that Beth had presented to me with when she and her family had come to be part of gathering over lunch, putting it on top of the fridge next to the sink, out of the way, and, as it turned out, out of mind as well! (Earlier in the week she had paid a visit to Cora Lee and I had shared some of "my" cherry cake, a birthday present from Rosita, with her, carefully monitoring thickness of slices, however, Dear Reader!) I was so tired from combination of late night, early morning and the hours of standing over the sink that I could hardly bear the thought of driving back to pick up gift before everyone left. Fortunately, for me, Chloë was happy to fetch forgotten present and I drifted off even before she was out the door!
Had a simply divine nap until about 3:30pm and then proceeded to start working in kitchen, all over again. Helped Chloë with all the dishes she used making her cornbread stuffing. Cora Lee was ensconced on her favourite armchair, with her favourite cat, watching The Sound of Music, making unreasonable demands more often than the scullions would have liked. Chloë had broken a wine glass when emptying dishwasher after she returned from church and had not had time to vacuum in case she had missed any tiny shards of glass. I, as Vacuum Master extraordinaire, was charged with the task but only allowed, by royal fiat, to do so during commercial breaks. This, of course, delayed entire hoovering project, yet She Who Must Be Obeyed, was adamant about the decree. This caused all sorts of mutterings and grumblings among affected underlings but to no avail. (Was more than tempted to blurt out: "Git yer own bloody tea, yer Bloody Majesty on yer shiny mini-bike, Royal Coach scooter!", but was cautioned by the Downstairs Maid to refrain from so doing, although she had to pinch herself to stop from laughing aloud!) The Proclamation held. I did manage, however, to slip, surreptitiously, as you would expect, three pinches of arsenic into Her Majesty's afternoon tea, Dear Reader, but have, unfortunately, yet to see any encouraging results! Will have to speak to my pharmacist after Boxing Day!!!
Finally, the Singing von Trapps made it to safety in Switzerland and I could finish my search for slivers of the finest Czechoslovakian crystal and then attend to mashing of more potatoes, one of our contributions to Christmas dinner with Clan Sutherland downstairs. Clara and Dusty did a turkey, (as Durstons are very particular about how the bird is to be done and wanted overlefts anyway), and turnip puff and Chloë helped take those plates downstairs. By the time I was showered and changed, Sarge was just finishing carving their bird. Table was set and looked lovely, adorned with crackers and large paper, origami cranes, courtesy of Akiko, Aaron's fiancée. Aaron is Sarge's nephew and he asked Akiko for her hand in marriage, on Christmas Eve, at Stanley Park. He produced the engagement ring near the Miniature Railway and it is rumoured that he was there for the Christmas Train ride and the proposal was an afterthought! Wedding is to take place this coming July, on lawn outside Sutherland's patio, so planning for that has already started!
Due to sheer number of guests, everyone, (except Her Imperious Royal Personage, Chloë pulling Lady-in-Waiting duty), helped themselves to sumptuous, steaming platters, (Flamin's mouth-watering, pecan encrusted squash and three different types of dressing joined the groaning serving counter), and we sat down to have food blessed by Cora Lee, now wearing her Earth Mother/Matriarch hat, and dinner began. We snapped crackers with those beside us and traded prizes with those around table if we didn't particularly like our own. Hard to believe some of the loot that the colourful crackers contained. Marvinator, per esempio, had the great good fortune to land a mini-Swiss knife look alike, complete with blade, bottle opener, pen-light and pen with automatically retractable nib. Device was good enough to qualify for a space mission while I was simply delighted to find a small bag of paper clips in the bowels of my cracker. Okay, so there was a small black magnetised base to hold them but Paper Clips! I'm retired already! What do I need from paper clips. Oy Vey!! And I don't even celebrate Hanukkah! Swapped for a pen with Kid Chelene and even forget to take that home!
We had an uproarious time with plenty of hootch and more food and more wine and on and on and on until we could barely move or laugh or breath, for that matter. Consequently, dessert, (Clarisse's Christmas pudding!), for most of us, was simply out of the question so the tables, (needed an extension to seat tall twelve of us), were cleared and dining room table pushed back against one wal to make room for The Battle of the Sexes, the new Christmas Game. As the name implies, The Sisterhood faced off against The Brotherhood. Each team asks questions, of the other, from the Female or Male point of view. The women ask questions that, supposedly, men would not know, (What are the call numbers on the plane in Lost?), while the men ask questions that are so general that even the pets in the house were able to answer. More often than not thess came with either or clues: Who wrote Heart of Darkness? Joseph Conrad or Ernest Hemmingway?
Needless to say, The Brotherhood struggled against the unfair odds and made slow progress until Sarge realized that the rules were not being applied correctly, and we then mounted a splendid dash to the finish line only to lose in a photo-finish. Gracious losers, as ever, we congratulated the winning team while grumbling into our glasses of Auchentoshen Three Wood, (matured in American Bourbon, Oloroso and Pedro Ximinez sherry casks), Kid Chelene's gift to his Dad for Christmas! Almost worth losing as we needed a couple of snorts to dilute the shame of defeat!
Thanking Clan Sutherland for wonderful meal and evening, we collected our now empty plates and bowls and made for upstairs. Thanked Clara and Dusty for the lovely turkey and turnip and they repaired to their lace. Goils changed into their jams and we watched a recorded episode of the American Prime Suspect before saying goodnight and heading to bed to read for a bit before turning out our bedside lamps. A full and wonderful, wonderful day and we felt magnificently blessed to share such time and such munificence with close family and friends. A Happy, Happy Christmas indeed.
Coriandre visited her surgeon between Christmas and New Year's and he was very pleased with the healing process. However unrest is growing among her many attendants! Day after appointment, I chauffeured Her Majesty downtown to VPL where she was to train a volunteer for Friends of VPL. After I deposited Her Ladyship curbside, I made for Young Brothers on Broadway to buy some ingredients I needed for the making of the large plate of Mixed Antipasto I planned to serve at our Open House on New Year's Day. Stopped by Minerva's, close by, in next block, to pick up a large tub of peperoncini, (pickled Tuscan peppers), also one of ingredients. Hurried home to stand by the phone, waiting for Cora Lee Regina to call, summoning me back to fetch her home. Very tough life when one lives with royalty!!!
While I was hovering, I beavered away, catching up on email, sorted through stacks of accumulated paperwork and even read a few snippets of Botany of Desire, our latest Book Club selection. Shortly before 1:00pm Her Majesty called and I picked her up. She was very pleased as young woman she was training is really bright and between them they were able to complete most of the tasks that needed attention.
Once home, I settled Her Highness in her chair, tilted the TV screen in her direction so that she could watch The Young and the Restless, suited up in my cycling togs and then headed out for a quick ride around Stanley Park. Thought that I had waited, (or rather been forced to wait!), too long as there were a few drops as I left Harbour Terrace. Bit of a stiff wind until I rounded Science World and then it was wonderfully smooth sailing. Quite a few people on the Seawall, loads of walkers and perhaps more bikers, on rentals, than I think I've ever seen. Had to use my bell quite regularly, in fact. Fortunately, I'm in practice having been responding to Her Ladyship's constant demands with her dinner bell!!!
Around False Creek the colourful Aquabuses were scudding along, much like Little Toot, and a real treat, around Lighthouse Point, when a massive Hyundai container vessel made its way past, blocking out the mountains, filling the entire space between the Lilliputians on the Seawall and the North Shore, seemingly close enough to touch. Quite a sensation watching the gargantuan ship slide by, in slow motion.
Very, very low tide and the waterway under the small vehicle bridge which connects Deadman Island to Stanley Park was impassable, nothing but jagged rocks, for any of the boats moored in the lagoon there. This Island operates as the HMCS Discovery, Vancouver's Naval Reserve Base, for those of you non-salts out there! As a result of the all the exposed rocks, the crows were having nothing but a field, Or more correctly, a water day with mussels. Closer to home, not far from Olympic Village, the poplars lining the bikeway, just opposite an enormous, crumbling chipboard bulldozer, (not sure how it came into being, in the first place), were filled with raucously cawing birds. Talk about a murder of crows!!! My tires went crunch, crunch, crunch over parts of the shells that had smashed as a result of being dropped for that very purpose. What clever creatures! Even had to dodge a few brave hearted fools who wouldn't budge from the path, worried about losing supper, rather than their lives, I suppose!!!
Back home with 33.33K on the odometer so not much distance but a lovely outing. Sky was actually starting to clear once I was past Second Beach and the temperature was more than pleasant.Zapped a cup of java and thought I'd send along a few massages while I awaited the finish of yet another interminable episode Y&R, (As far as I can tell, they are all the same! I've never watched an entire episode but nothing has changed. Can't any of these people make up their minds. They should all be seconded to university committees!!!), as I was to help Madame Du Barry with her bath. Rather more difficult than it would seem as I am constantly told to avert my eyes, for modesty's sake! Sad to relate, Dear Reader, that during an earlier ablution, turned on the cold tap, (inadvertently, of course!), full force, as a result of not being allowed to gaze upon the Goddess, and Her Highness shrieked like a banshee, definitely "not amused"!
Receiving the Royal Summons, I hied myself to the bathing salon, postehaste, and am pleased to report that I only scalded a small, unmentionable part of the Royal Anatomy. Had to be Johnny on the Spot about drizzling some cold Chaaaaaaaaarrrddddonnaaay over affected area and all was well, although Her Ladyship looked rather indecorous swigging the vino right from the bottle!
That evening, we mirrored the extravagant lifestyle of The Rich and Famous. Friends of friends sent a limo to pick us, (Flamin'/Sarge, Lori/Daniello/Cora Lee and I), up and drove us to their home in North Van! Ergun, (he is Turkish), and Brenda were at an Open House hosted by Lori and Daniello last Thursday, at their place, not far from us off Sitka Square, and that is where all this came together. Ride was a blast, (We brought along nothing but the finest Australian bubbly, Cook's Sparkling, since 1859, according to label!), although rather disorienting. Had great difficulty seeing through the fogged windows so literally didn't have any sense of where we were in city. At one poiint we picked up two other guests, Daniel and Roberto, and I thought they lived in Yaletown, not far from VPL, but discovered, at party, that they lived in West End! Was completely turned around and it wasn't by the plonk either! The entire orientation of the interior is so discombobulating that one's senses, at least mine, spent all their time trying to adjust to this "foreign" environment.), once we settled into our leather seats although I must say I found the seating too, too low for my comfort. Good for Coriandre, however, as she could stretch her booted right foot out without placing much, if any, pressure on it.) Last time we were in a limo was on November 19th, 1991 when we took one to YVR when we were leaving for our first trip trip to Australia with Chloë and Clara/Dusty. Needed a limo with all the bags!
Party was a most pleasant gathering and I enjoyed meeting a number of the neighbours, (One, Daniel, yet another, works for ViTran, freight services, distribution and forwarding, etc., and it was fascinating to hear all the stories about contraband in containers, Hell's Angels involvement with the International Longshore & Warehouse Union at the Port of Vancouver and the seemingly haphazard control most companies, both large and small, have over shipment of orders. In fact, Daniel is in charge of a department which sells unclaimed and/or damaged goods after a three month grace holding period.), as well as chatting with Daniel, chap we picked up en route. He works for Vancouver Coastal Health so is a colleague of both Lori and Flamin'. He is originally from Nebraska and had flown in from there in the afternoon, having spent Christmas with family.
Lovely, lovely spread of food and most of the guests were delighted by the huge platter of fresh Dungeness crab which our generous hosts provided. I say "most" as I'm not a fan of either crab or lobster. I find the work required to extract the flesh, not only dangerous, laborious and unbelievably messy but also hardly worth the effort for meat which is so bland that it must be eaten with copious amounts of drizzled butter and/or piquant sauces, of on sort or another, to make it taste like something it isn't. Why bother? I stayed well back from the skeleton crunchers and enjoyed a number of helpings of the simply wonderful mixed bean dish Brenda served, along with so many other delicious dips, cheeses and delicately fried chicken breasts. Cora Lee and the Newfoundlanders, (Flamin' and Sarge), were in Seventh Heaven however and their plates looked like paleolithic middens after their predations! Dungeness Crab graveyards, mini-mausoleums of broken legs and sundered carpaces, West Coast wampum!
While the crab frenzy was in full force, I chatted with our chauffeur, Ibrahim, a friend of Ergun's, not surprisingly. Turned out that he did his compulsory military service in Cyprus, in 1979, and so we knew places in common on the island. When he lived in Istanbul his family home was not all that far from where we stayed in 2005, but a five minute walk from the Blue Mosque. Spent an interesting time conversing about the city and countryside, hearing his opinions and thoughts about his native land, comparing them to our own experiences there.
Around 10:00pm Her Majesty's foot was tiring so we made the rounds, saying goodbyes and thanking Brenda and Ergun for everything, the limo service, the food and drink, and Ibrahim spirited us home on his magic carpet. Quite an evening!
We spent New Year's Eve here, with Clara and Dusty and The Millionaires, off next day on an extended cruise of the South Pacific! We were all invited downstairs to celebrate with Clan Sutherland BUT all their offspring and their amores were to be there so we knew it would be too, too much for C/D, not to mention Coriandre and I and the Dawes. A few years ago, pre-lottery win, Grog and Lurch went home at 10:30pm when the six couples had booked dinner/dancing for NY's Eve at GIH!
Kathleen/Steve, friends from Melbourne, visiting family here over holidays, celebrated New Year's Eve with us. Pleased as it would be one of last times here before we see them in Melbourne in March. (We leave for Hong Kong, for five nights on March 5th, then to Australia until May 11th. Then to Japan until end of May. Flamin' and Sarge will travel with us while we are in Australia.) Steve rented a mandolin before he went to visit Millioniares in Parkesville for a few days before Christmas. Grogg brought one of his guitars so we had our own band. We all went downstairs before dinner to have a drink. I wrote The Freeloader Blues and lads performed it. Quite a hit!
All in all, a very pleasant New Year's Eve. Relatively quiet, compared to that of Clan Sutherland. Assembled company all went dancing at the Granville Island Hotel after their dinner. We ate upstairs with Clara/Dusty, Steve/Kathleen and Kathleen's sister Lorraine, G/L, and another friend of ours, Branko. G/L left at 11:00am, C/D a bit earlier, and Steve lay down just before midnight, so it was only the five of us to ring in 2012!
As I mentioned above we hosted an Open House On the 1st and we enjoyed seeing some of the friends we've not seen in some time. All the best to you, Stefano and David, as well as your parents, for a Healthy New Year, from The Management and Staff of The Island Inn, Cora Lee, Chloë, Clara, Dusty and Maggie The Devil Cat! Please keep in touch and let us know how things evolve. Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizio!
Wow...there's a lot of news in that short letter...like a soap opera of
sorts. Interesting that Nao will live with Stefan until June after
asking for a divorce!
Hi Simone!
Trust all goes well, so far in 2012! Sorry that I've not been in touch a bit sooner. Not quite sure where all of the time has gone and the new year has only just begun! How is your new working life? How is your new vacuum cleaner working? Cora Lee wants one as well!!!I guess you will be starting to think about packing for Thunder Bay. Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio!
| ( | Dyson_Vac.wmv) Well we have the trip of a life time booked to Australia. As of now we are planning to drive from Port Mc Quarrie to Tony and Ellie's on Monday April 9th. On the 12th we are going to go to Greg and Claire's staying until the 15th. This is assuming that this all works for you guys. One question I would like to know is how far is it from Port Mc Quarrie. Also how long will it take to drive from the Hunter Valley to Port Mc Quarrie as we plan to stay in the Hunter Valley on the 6th and 7th. Happy New Year. Wayne |
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