The first year

When I was 12, Mum and Dad packed up the family station wagon and headed west to visit our McDowell cousins in North Vancouver. Unlike many events of my childhood, I have many memories associated with this trip (maybe not many as others would define many), including the day trip to the beach (the name of which escapes me) with Fraser and Stevie & Uncle Terry, who came equipped with a very fancy camera. All day long he snapped photos of us as we played, blissfully unaware of the lens. A few months later we received a slide show (those were the days of a simpler technology, sigh!) and an accompanying script, putting all of our antics in context. I wish the slideshow were embedded right here in this post, but although I have scanned all the slides and attempted to make a movie of it, I encountered some tech problems and have not found the time to resolve them. Yet. I have vowed to Fraser & Stevie that it will get done. The last photo of the series is this one of Dad. The angular profile, the stance, the camera slung around his neck... iconic. February 5th marked the one year anniversary of what would be Dad's last trip to the hospital. I think now how we went along thinking that this was just another hic in his illness. Not so. I will spend February reliving the markers that line the road to February 26th when he took his last breath. It will be cathartic.

We Burns children were lucky to have such a Dad & Mum.

For this I am grateful, every single day, I am grateful.

H a p p y

N e w

Y e a r

This photo was taken by either my friend Nicole Coulson or her husband, Lorne Coulson (who is also my friend). I'll have to ask their permission to post it here.

It has been quite some time since my last post (seems I begin each one with the same line...), and today, while David-Louis, Liam and Norm are at the Bodies exhibit, I am taking the time to update. I know, I know, I let the most obvious moment for a post pass me by, Christmas and New Year's day, but life's circumstances were such that it just wasn't convenient.

I'm debating whether or not I should publicly announce my New Year's resolutions. There are not many, and one in particular stands out in that it is annually featured on my list; I need to muster all of my self-confidence, put myself out there and set myself up for a bitter morsel of Humble Pie in the event that I do not succeed. I'll continue to ponder the idea while I write.

The weeks leading to Christmas were tough... As I did my shopping, I would come across a sweater, a CD or a gadget that would have been the perfect gift for Dad. On December 19th the Campbell side of the family gathered at Sonya and Scott's for dessert and carols. As we belted out the seasonal favourites, Dad's absence was greatly felt when his beautiful tenor voice was not among those of the Three Kings. Lord of the Dance was the hardest to get through... it's sort of the family anthem, and, as at Campbell and David's services, we sang it at Dad's too. On Christmas morn, Lindsay and Mom came to our home to open gifts. Typically Dad would have wrapped his carefully selected, very pratical gifts in the Saturday funnies and signed the tags with names of long-gone family pets (Cleo, Xerxes, Flopsy...) and former neighbours... A family joke. We miss Dad terribly.

The big news item is that Lindsay has returned to Bangkok, Thailand where she has accepted a term contract teaching eleven year 5 students in a British school. She will return on July 3rd.

Here she is posing for a good bye photo with Aunt Sonya and Uncle Scott following her "last supper" before leaving.

Prior to her departure, Lindsay was teaching English as an additional language and substitute teaching, mostly for her brother-in-law, or her sister. She is looking forward to having her own classroom, her own students and, the tropical weather will be a welcome change. Leaving the 'Peg in January means leaving three more months of sub-zero weather, snow and square tires, not really a sacrifice some would say.

Mum is doing well, but is still unaccustomed to being a widow. She too has chosen to leave the frigid climate and is going first to Perth, Australia with a friend, then to Thailand to visit Linds, from where they will both travel to Vietnam. Mum has been a loyal customer of a Vietnamese tailor, Tam, who, since immigrating to Canada, has raised thousands of dollars to do some rebuilding in his home town. The Burns ladies will meet Tam there and tour the country that has been the subject or backdrop to countless movies and tv dramas. Upon the completion of their South Pacific sojourn, Mum will return to Perth and will eventually head north to the 'Peg and reunite with us. FINALLY!

Her they are looking WAY TOO EAGER!

I doubt that either of them was smiling too broadly at FIVE AM today, the time at which they had to leave to get to the airport.

And so, life here will carry on... Liam and David-Louis will play basketball and refuse to pick up their clothes they have so carefully abandoned on the floor. We will continue to go to bed before they are done with the current day. I will continue to prepare what I hope to be inspiring lessons knowing I am up against stiff competition for my students' attention, and Norm will continue to encourage reluctant students to stay engaged at least for the duration of a particular assignment. We are fortunate to have wonderful perfect-in-their-imperfections boys. But then, we do spend a lot of time with them, imparting our "wisdom" and our values every single day of their life.

On a more troublesome not, I cannot give you and update on Sandy as he is AWOL. We have discovered, by accident, that he is in Winnipeg, but know nothing beyond that. I'm hoping this absence is part of his own grieving.

As a parting remark, after much deliberating, I will share with you that my New Year's resolution, is the infamous goal shared by millions; losing weight and getting into shape. I've parked the exercice bike in the living room, joined the CBC "Live Right Now" web site, and am emptying the pantry and refrigerator of the foods that serve only to sabotage my efforts.

http://www.cbc.ca/liverightnow/

If I am successful, the next family photo like this one,

I will not be as round and will be fitter. My first aqua fit class is Wednesday, followed by a yoga class on Monday. There comes a time when my health has to take priority over planning lessons. I have chosen classes that take place at venues close to home, and so the too-far-to-go excuse just won't fly.

I also resolve to read, write and draw more - oh, and play more games with my teenage children. Losing weight or playing parlour games with teens; which is more of a challenge?

So long for now. I will be back, so please stay patiently tuned to this blog.

Be well.

Shannon