Our year started out in Memories Jibacoa Cuba. The time between Christmas and New Year is one of the least busy times for Karen. So Karen and David went with us. Brent and Mark’s families had other plans so they did not go with us.
Prue and George had been to Jibacoa 3 times before this trip but although Karen has been to Cuba several times she had not been to the Jibacoa area before this trip. David had never been to Cuba before and so he had no idea of what to expect.
If you would like to learn about Jibacoa you could visit George's webpages titled Jibacoa Resorts The pages will open in a new window. Similarly, right-clicking any photo will open a larger version of the photo in a new tab.
Memories Jibacoa is one of two international resorts in the Jibacoa area. It is on the north coast of Cuba about halfway between Varadero and Havana.
In this area there is a very narrow coastal plain with a an escarpment much like the Niagara escarpment just inland. One of the activities here is a hike to the top of the escarpment. With 2 artificial knees I did not think that Prue would make it to the top. But she did!
When we booked our trip we asked for two ocean view rooms but were told that there was only one ocean room available. So we booked one ocean view room for Karen and David and a garden view room for us. But when we arrived we found that we had 2 adjoining ocean view rooms.
This photo, taken from the top of the escarpment, shows the building where are rooms were located. It is the one closest to the ocean.
View of our building from the ocean side. Our room was the fourth one from the left. Right click the photo to see tthat Prue is sitting on the porch.
The view of the ocean from our room. The building in the right corner is in the east corner of Memories and is a shade house for the security guard.
Every day just east of the guardhose there was a Cuban with several horses hoping to take people horseback riding. Karen can never resist the temptation to go for a ride.
"In Cuba, Jibacoa is the destination of choice if you wish to enjoy good snorkeling from shore. The proximity of the reef from the beach makes it easy to be able to spend as much time as we wish to explore the wonderful underwater world without having to organize and pay for a boat trip." - Diving and Snorkeling in Jibacoa
Karen and David often went snorkeling and took a quick course on scuba diving and went diving once.
In Cuba there is always a huge celebration on New Year's Eve
One day we took a trip into Mantanzas to visit Paco and Lila Rhodes and to go to the Bellamar Caves. Paco is a Baptist minister who taught at the theological seminary in Mananzas. He is currently a chaplain in Cuban prisons.
Prue got pneumonia again 5 days into our 2 weeks stay but was not hospitalized as an effective antibiotic was prescribed early. It makes us question whether we should go there this coming year.
When we got home from Cuba George skated and Prue swam 2 times a week until mid March.
On May12th we flew to Edmonton and spent 6 days with Brent, Lisa, Taylor and Zachary. The boys were both working for River City Special Events Rentals constructing and dismantling tents of all sizes. We had a great lunch with Emma who is working at the Stollery Children at the Children’s hospital Edmonton. This fall she started working in the PICU wing of the University Hospital. The PICU is the section of the hospital that provides sick children with the highest level of medical care. Also, Lisa’s mother, Donna, had us all over for a great supper and we had lunch with Irene and Hugh Inglis.
We took the Red Arrow bus to go to the reunion in Calgary. Jack and Laurel Fitzsimmons picked us up at the Red Arrow bus terminal in Calgary. We spent a lovely week with Jack and Laurel in their apartment. They were our drivers for 10 days.
We had a mini reunion over lunch with Eloise (Agnue) Wigglesworth, Helena (Ottie Schmit) and her daughter Maggie Tonnison from BLTS, and Margaret (McKenzie) Dunkerly. Marg. was a CGH grad and my little nursing sister and friend from 1st Baptist Calgary, and Brian. Another day we met with cousins Jennifer (Julson) and Les Spenser for lunch. Unfortunately, Joan and Paul McAleese had COVID on return from a cruise and Theresa (Fitzsimmons) Haws had a problem with her hearing. We had supper one night in Cochrane with George's nephew Andrew Wray, Colleen and Xavier. We then drove to Yorkton with Jack and Laurel to spend 2 days with Shannon, Graham, Adelaide and Oliver Erickson and Scott, Sharlene, Sadie, Jackson, and Owen Fitzsimmons. On the way back to Calgary we had lunch in Regina with Audrey (Olson) Wushke and Ed. and Marilyn (Jackson) Macdonald, a BLTS grad and little sister at CGH, and both CGH grads. What fun to visit with family and classmates!
When we got home the garden and the cottage took up most of our time and energy. It seemed to be the year for repairs and upgrades at the cottage. The first few weeks we laid laminate in the kitchen. The dock was damaged by the ice for the 1st time in 40 years. The water pipes under the cottage sprouted leaks. The TV died, and our fishing boat, including the new motor sank in one heavy rainstorm. We were able to get the motor repaired.
We had an exciting time over Thanksgiving at Karen’s farm. She and David Harvey took their wedding vows in an outdoor wedding on October 7th. It was misty day but for 1½ hours the sun came out and after wiping down the outside chairs we had a beautiful service led by her friend Ruth. Supper of soup, buns and dessert was eaten in the tent, and this was followed by a campfire for those able to stay.
After the ceremony a picture was taken of all the people at the wedding.
The reception was held in the large white tent that you can see in the photo above..
After lunch people were asked to stand by as the photographer took family photos.
Following pictures some people took a hike up the escarpment with the yoga goats that Karen is boarding. Others played board games. In th evening a supper of soup, buns and dessert was eaten in the tent followed by a campfire for those who were able to stay.
A few days after the wedding, Prue tested positive for COVID. Unfortunately, she and Margaret (Karen’s mother-in-law) seemed to have caught it at the wedding, though no one else reported getting sick. That really slowed things down for 3 weeks and Jack and Laurel were then unable to visit us in Peterborough. George did not get COVID that we are aware of. Yesterday we both received our flu shots and George his COVID booster.
Brent was back in Ontario from Nov 10 to 13 for a chaplaincy meeting in Richmond Hill. We picked up Brent and another chaplain from New Brunswick at the airport and took them to the B&B in Richmond Hill where the meeting was being held. Then Prue and George went and stayed with at Marks for the weekend.
Ethan works two days a week at the Caledon Centre for Recreation and Wellness in Bolton. He teaches archery and supervises at the rock climbing wall. On Saturday Mark took us to the centre to see Ethan at work and to climb the wall himself. Mark had not climbed the wall before.
On Monday we picked Brent up in Richmond Hill to take him back to the airport. We were a bit early getting back so we stopped for a short time at the Kortright Centre for Conservation.
Prue celebrated her 82nd Birthday on Dec 5. We were invited to the Brandows for supper. We usually get together with them on either Dec5 or 6 as John's birthday is on the 6th.
On Dec7 we went to Karen's farm for 3 days for another birthday celebration. On the Sat. night we went to the Meaford Hall to see Susan Aglukark’s Upinnaq Christmas.
On the Sun night we were on our way to Thornbury to go to a Christmas supper. The proceeds were to benefit Beaver Valley Outreach. (If you go to the Beaver Valley home page, the woman in the yellow sweater is Noreen Baron, Karen's next door neighbour.)
Karen was driving our car. David was in the front seat with her. Prue and George were in the back. Just after we left Heathcote on Grey Rd13 two deer came out of the ditch. As it was dark Karen did not see them until there were almost in front of the car. One deer stopped but unfortunately the other one did not and it collided with the car. The deer was not killed but but was lying on the road in front of the car. A farmer in a truck behind us stopped. He lived just up the road. He went to get a knife to put the deer out of its misery. Shortly after he left, the deer tried to get up. Its first two attempts were unsuccessful but on the third one it got up but kept its back right hoof off the ground. Gradually it seemed to put a bit of weight on that foot and before the farmer returned it ran off into the far ditch. We waited until the farmer returned. We told him what had happened. He said that he would check in the morning to see if he could see the deer.
Brent, Lisa, Taylor and Zachary still live in Leduc, Alberta. Emma lives in Edmonton. Brent is still a chaplain at the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton. Lisa works part time in Children’s Ministry at the Leduc Community Baptist Church. Her medication has been changed and she now feels much better and has more energy than last year.
Brent, Lisa, Taylor, Emma and Zachary were able to spend a week in Ontario for Karen's wedding. They spent a few nights in Toronto visiting with friends and family seeing the sights (a hockey game, the Hockey Museum etc.). While at the wedding they stayed for 3 nights at an Airbnb’s farmhouse up the road with Mark’s family.
Karen and David will be making their home on the farm. She continues to work for The Presbyterian Church in Canada, while he’s retired from practicing law (he and John worked together for many years on tainted blood cases and advocacy.) David is fixing things on the farm that they continue to share with Margaret, their horses, chickens and a family of goats (renters!). Both Karen and Margaret are enjoying having someone else to work on their ‘to-do’ lists; but Karen says she will still have lists of things for us to work on when we go to visit. No one digs up and plants her vegetable garden as well as her parents!
Mark’s family is doing well. Selina is in Grade 12 and wanting to go into Wildlife Biology. Ethan (3rd year of Creative Writing and Publishing), and his girlfiend Sherlyn (girlfriend 2nd year Art Design) are both attending Sheridan College in Missisauga. Hayden is working his 2nd year in Tottenham with a company repairing gas stations. (Both boys are still living at home.) Patti continues her administrative work ½ days at a school nearby. Mark is teaching Grade 6/7 art at Robert H. Lagerquist Sr. Public School School. He is also coaching the boy's volleyball team. He is counting down the years to retirement, just like his father did!