Christmas reflections pt. 3

Growing up we spent our Christmases in Lachute. We had a regular routine of visiting family.

After my dad died in 1975, my mom would come to Ottawa to spend time with me. There were also trips to Winnipeg and Vancouver to visit Kathi. In Winnipeg we plugged in the car when we went to see the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. In Vancouver, my mom was most impressed by the golfers who were out playing a game.

The last time I spent Christmas in Lachute was in 2001. My mom was in the convalescent home. I went to the early morning service at St. Simeon’s but my mom was not up and about at that time of day. We had Christmas dinner together at 320 Princess Street.

By 2004 my mom was living in Ottawa in a retirement home. On Christmas Eve she came to my house and we ate some of the Noel Shrimp Bake. That was the last time she was ever in my house. The next day I went to the retirement home to have dinner with my mom.

After my mom died in October 2006 I went to Toronto to spend Christmas with the sisters at the convent. It was very pleasant and it was good to be there.

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I was recently meeting with a couple of friends. We started to talk about what we were going to do this year. One was spending time at a cottage and another was off to the West Coast and a green Christmas. I said I was going to do something different this year and that is true.

I will be at my own church for the service on Christmas Day. I can help out with Altar Guild and flowers as needed. Then I am off to Morrisburg to have a Christmas meal with a former schoolmate that I met up with at my Traf reunion.

I checked the notice at the barn about Christmas hours and I could visit Abra between 12 and 4 and give her a Christmas carrot.