Our 2007 Xmas Letter

Hello and happy holidays,

Again, it's been a busy year and we've had the good fortune to see several people we haven't seen in many years.

In February we made a 10-day trip to Florida that was anything but a holiday! We cleaned and packed and shredded and hauled to clear out my Aunt Flo's trailer and bring her back to Canada. At 90, she had lived over 50 years in the South, so arriving here on March 1 to a good old prairie blizzard was quite a shock to her system. She bore it very well and is now settled in at her independent living space in Saskatoon. Mom was with us, and she and Lew have continued all year to help auntie deal with the "business" end of the repatriation.

The next event was our trip to Montreal in June to attend Leslie's convocation from
Concordia University. After two hard years of working and attending night classes, she finally achieved her degree in Sociology. It was a very quick trip for us, but well worth it. We took Mom and Aunt Flo along and we ladies all went for a massage and pedicure! This was a brand new experience for auntie.

Lew and I dropped the ladies off in Toronto, and my brother Eric and his family taxied them to visit their brother, Donald Jacobs’ clan in Elmvale. We flew back to Saskatoon and spent a day doing lawn, garden, laundry, etc., then drove to Victoria so I could meet all of Lew’s family. I hadn’t been West since 1991, so I truly enjoyed the trip and seeing friends and relatives. We stopped in Kamloops and had tea with Jan Brunsgaard, a Grenfell friend I had not seen in several years. Her kids are just a little younger than mine and all grown up, too. Then in Abbotsford, we had a lovely dinner with my ex-husband’s nephew and niece, Dale and Terri, and their grown up children. After a great visit, we spent the night at my cousin Ken Zondervan’s house. After visiting and brunch with Ken and his wife Joan, we went on into Vancouver. That afternoon we had a wonderful visit with Linda LeCain, who was a roommate when I was in University (more than a couple of years ago!) Next morning we met my cousin Wanda and her husband Fred for lunch. I hadn’t seen Wanda for about thirty years so we had lots of reminiscing to do. That’s where we discussed the possibility of having a Jacobs reunion in 2008—something that the Eastern cousins are working hard to make happen.

Then it was off to Victoria. We stopped in at the Butchard Gardens. It was a lovely day and we walked for a couple of hours and took a couple of hundred pictures – thank goodness for digital cameras! Then off we went to spend four days with Lew’s sister, Carolyn and her husband Gary. I didn’t get to meet all everyone in the family, but very much enjoyed the short visits with those that I did meet. While in Victoria, we spent an evening with cousin Murray Jacobs and his wife Sue. Again, I hadn’t seen Murray since 1989 so there was lots to catch up on. I had never been West of Nanaimo so we drove up to Comox, stopping here and there to sight see.

I flew home and left Lew in Victoria. He stayed another week, then drove home on his own. I had to wind up things at SIGA because after six years I jumped ship into a different job. I’m now working for Doepker Trailer Industries (leading manufacturers of semi trailers in Western Canada). This will be my last job, as we are planning that I should retire on Lew’s 65th birthday in July of 2009.

Along with a new job, I had to work at learning the script for a stage play at the Barn Playhouse (see www.barnplayhouse.ca) where I was the Agatha Christie style heroine who solved the mystery of why all the Crazy Quilt Club ladies were mysteriously dying.

In amongst all this busyness we managed to grow a good garden and put down another bushel of tomatoes. Lew also framed and installed an extra window in the living room and built a nice big deck in the L of the house outside the front door. He has also managed to completely rebuild the family room and add a 2-piece bath in the basement. Besides that, he does all of the cooking—and he’s a mighty fine cook. I’m still trying to train him how to clean up after he cooks, but I think I’ll just have to accept that cleaning is my department!

In September we had an exciting call from Lindsay (in Finland). She announced that she and Jukka were engaged and coming home to Saskatchewan—specifically our back yard—in June 2008 to be married. So we are anticipating that and praying for good weather on the 28th.

Leslie and Trevor have just purchased a house in Hudson, Quebec about 40 miles west of Montreal City. It is a huge home on a one-acre lot. They don’t take possession until April, but they are very excitedly planning the paint, the renos, the furniture, etc. I have concerns that they might think they need to fill all six bedrooms with children! I’m not sure I’m ready to be grandma yet, never mind to a whole litter!

I guess no letter can be written without speaking briefly of the difficulties of the year. Actually, we have been quite fortunate. No floods, no fires, no hurricanes, no wars. However, Lew has had some health problems starting with an aching shoulder and a swollen lymph gland on his neck. A biopsy of three lymph nodes has come back negative, but a subsequent CT scan has shown a larger mass on the chest wall under the arm. The surgeon here referred him to another orthopaedic surgeon, who in turn referred him to a specialist in Edmonton who deals with soft tissue sarcoma. After a rushed flight to Edmonton, nothing definitive has come from the referral as yet. We are awaiting an MRI, and Lew is scheduled for another surgical biopsy tomorrow (Dec. 18). Until we know what is found we don’t know what the future holds. The Edmonton doctor suggests that the entire mass must be removed regardless of the outcome, and that there may be radiation prior to surgery in order to shrink the tumour.

Luckily Lew has not lost any weight and feels generally healthy. He is very tired because the shoulder hurts 24-7 and he doesn’t sleep well. But there are no other indicators of bad health.

I’ve been trucking along just fine this year. Other than fifteen pounds that insist on staying with me I have no other worries. I still walk to work, but the distance is much shorter (only 5 minutes each way), so I have taken up going to the gym—but I’m not nearly as dedicated as I should be.

We have been taking in as many concerts and plays as we can—something we both enjoy immensely. Saskatoon is extremely busy culturally, so there are always places to go. Just have to find the money to get there. I’m still singing in the University Chorus, and am quite involved with the workings and politics of the church.

The ruler of the house is still Melissa, our tortoiseshell cat. She has adopted Lew and generally ignores me whenever he’s around.

We plan to have a quiet Christmas. Mom and Aunt Flo will spend part of the time with us, and Leslie is flying home on Boxing Day for a couple of days. It will be fun to have her here. She and I are planning to hit the sales and get a few decorations, etc. for Lindsay’s upcoming wedding. We’ll also take a trip to the Casino so she can see the fruits of my labor earlier this year—I was in charge of purchasing all the furniture and accessories for Saskatchewan’s latest money gouge. The Casino serves wonderful food, so we’ll take the “little old ladies” with us and have a nice meal.

That’s about it from 55 O’Neil Crescent in Saskatoon. We know that some of you have had some difficult times in the past year, and our thoughts have certainly been with you. For everyone, we wish you a serene and joyous holiday season, and nothing but the very best in 2008.

Love,
Phyllis and Lew