The family newsletter sent around with Christmas cards seems to be making somewhat of a comeback. Well, at least in my extended family anyway. Of course I have procrastinated and haven't sent out Christmas cards. So, (not instead but as an alternative mind you) I have posted my version of our family's Christmas newsletter here.

My Younger Son

He has the dubious distinction of being part of the last ever OAC / Grade 13 classes in Ontario, member of the dreaded double co-hort. He is planning to apply to universities and colleges but there will be stiff competition, of course. The other problem, seldom mentionned, is that these students musn't fail or can't repeat a subject to boost their marks because their OAC courses are obsolete. Anyway, my son is doing much better (dare I be proud to mention top of the class in one subject) in his courses once he dropped one of his math subjects — he loves working with numbers but the word problems in the other one were his bane. He continues to work at the local grocery store, getting lots of hours around Christmas time. As we kept the ten year old Caravan, my son needs the money to help out with the car insurance and pay his own gas so he can drive it to high school. He also bought his own computer (from his brother, natch) and pays the extra cost for his own cable IP address. (Dad's firewall prevented some of his multi-player, Internet games from working properly.)

My Older Son and "Daughter"

Our son has been living with his girlfriend and not only does he love her but we do, too. She's our "daughter", now. In fact, she has an infectious laugh just like my wife's. At the moment they rent the second floor of a former farm house at a horse stable in "rural" Oakville right by Sixteen Mile Creek. I say "rural" as big box stores and access to highway 407 are perhaps less than a couple of kilometres away. The setting is perfect for their two cats, bird and some fish. They don't have a dog (yet!) but several of their neighbours dogs know them well. My son has his own business and a dedicated client keeping him busy; though, he is always looking for more opportunities in hosting, web site management or computer sales. Our daughter maintains her horse back riding hobby by working at the farm (not the one where they rent) and working as a "receptionist". I add the quotes because at that company she seems to be the only computer literate person so she's doing much more that just being a "pretty face on the phone".

My Wife

Can you spell B⋅U⋅S⋅Y? She's working on her diploma in Early Childhood Music Education a program jointly sponsored by Ryerson University and the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) at Toronto. This term she takes two courses and continues those in 2003. The RCM is also developing a music course for infants and my wife is one of only about a handful of students selected to participate in the development and research for this brand new course. Though it is not a credit there is certainly quite a demand for this type of program. Anyway, there's another half day a week for this academic year. Following a contract with a local private school this past spring, she has been hired for a part-time position this fall. She teaches music, song, movement, and rhythm to classes from pre-Kindergarten to Grade Two. She continues to teach voice, piano and music theory privately a couple of evenings a week. The other evenings are filled with course work and lesson planning. Hardly any time to quilt, craft, read a book (for pleasure!) or even sleep anymore. Busy as she is I think my wife has finally found her vocation, she's busy at something she loves: teaching or learning about teaching music to kids. They love her, too. I have never seen so many Christmas gifts from students. Some of the little ones are wont to cry at the disappointment in finding out she's not going to be in their classroom that day. I was fortunate to be on vacation and catch my wife and her students "December Concert" last week.

Yours Truly

I passed the 25 year mark with an Ontario Hydro successor company: six weeks of vacation is a pretty neat benefit. I am definitely not as busy as my wife but I manage to keep myself occupied. I am the bass section leader for a community choir which basically means I get a little bit of money for doing something I love: choral singing. Our community choir joined the Mississauga Opera (MO) to put on a grand production of Verdi's Aïda this past spring. We didn't have the elephants but we did have a stallion pulling a chariot across the stage. Great fun, though if you page back through my blog in May you'll find the music director of the MO was a tyrant, to put it mildly. It put me off joining that opera company.

The Gloat Section

Usually at this point in the newsletter people declare all the places they have been and the great things they bought over the course of the year. Sorry to disppoint. After travelling to the U.K. in 2000 and Italy in 2001 touring with choirs, we rested. Our summer vacation was a quiet one looking after a country home nestled in 100 acres of farmland in Oxford County. My wife bought a year old vehicle as we weren't sure the ten year-old Caravan would be reliable enough to get her to school or downtown for her courses. We continue to share our love of singing in the semi-professional choir the Bell'Arte Singers. We are also the music librarians for this choir. Next year we'll be able to gloat again as we've plunked down our deposit to sing with the Cathedral Singers of Ontario. Their 2003 tour includes a week of evensong at Canterbury Cathedral and a concert at Notre Dame in Paris. It just so happens to be our 25^th wedding anniversary next year, too.

The Pithy Quote Section

My web site is full of stuff and there might even be an inspirational quote or two though I doubt it. I did find a nativity scene by Bernardino Luini.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas or whatever you choose to celebrate at this time of year and a healthy, happy 2003 and beyond.