Palomar Mountains in the distance

We better get busy. In just a couple of days we’ll be needing to put an extra 2 on our keyboards. Instead of being 2011, suddenly it will be 2012.

I, like everyone else has spent some time looking back at 2011. I even wrote a rather lengthly piece about all the highlights and low lights of 2011.  I covered my cancer operation,  our daughter’s wedding and finally Marilyn’s loss of her mother. I put all the proper links in there so you too could look back and had oodle’s of nice pictures. In my mind at least, it was a true work of art.
I saved it for a bit, but in the interim read a few other people’s Year in Review, and then I went back and trashed it.

That was then, this is now. We all had some sad days in 2011 and we all had some great days. It’s called life and we all get to live it. Any way we want.

So, now that I’ve quit looking back, I can look ahead. I can even start working on my New Years Resolutions.

Let’s see: Lose some weight, get more exercise, become president of the world…….What did I miss? I’ll just take last years list and change the font. Same as I did for 2010.

Thanks for the read. If I don’t see you before, Happy New Year

We were in Costco yesterday, I think it was August 11, and there was Christmas stuff all over that store.
I recognize the world moves a little quicker these days but aren’t we moving just a little too fast?
Hopefully I am the first to wish you a very Merry Christmas.

When we travel through Mexico we often check out the local church. They are usually amazing pieces of architecture. By those standards this one is extemely small, very basic. But that’s not why we are here. Tonite we are in the little Catholic church on the Isla to celebrate Christmas eve.

Christmas is a huge deal here, so the church fills very quickly. We move outside to the courtyard so the regulars can take their seats. Mar and I are sitting in chairs, watching the show when the kids notice my camera. Kids being kids, they gotta clown around a bit.

Yes, that’s Bob in the middle. I guess we are all just kids when we get the chance.

The service is over and we are driving slowly through the streets on our way home;  lots of people come out of their homes, shake our hands and wish us Feliz Navidad. We should have been walking. Can you imagine the parties we would have been invited to then?

It’s a busy Christmas day here on the Isla:

Some of the local vultures are enjoying a couple of  dead fish that floated in on the high tide last night.

Meanwhile some pelicans are still fishing for their morning feed,

Further up the beach a few of the residents of Tres Amigo start their Christmas day with a friendly game of volleyball.

Talk about a crowd; 66 of us are sitting down at 6 tonight for a special Christmas dinner with turkey cooked the north american way down at a local beach restaurant.Most mexican chefs can not cook pava (that’s spanish for turkey) they way we like it so they have hired a retired, trained in noth american chef to come and do the job.

From both Marilyn and I; Merry Christmas to you and yours..

May we all share good health.

I remember this one from way back when I could remember things and considering our location, has to be appropriate for the season. Down here right now you hear this tune over and over again.

Merry Christmas to all from the Vanstones. We love you

I got this as one of the dozens of forwards we all recieve everyday, but I only got it once and I like it. Hope you do too.

On December 25, Mar, Pam and I volunteered at the St Catharines YWCA. I for one had a great day. While the girls were setting up the tables for dinner, I was handed a broom, soon replaced by a mop. As we got closer to the dinner sittings I was introduced to my special station, the sink and dishwasher. Mar was serving, Pam was bussing but I had the really important job, keeping those dishes bright and shiny. I think we all learned a little humility, we were certainly touched by some of the stories we heard. We were told that in St Catharines at least one of the Y’s functions is to provide housing, food and support for young women who have lost their way. They offer 3 meals a day, 7 days a week. They also offer support for those who need it. These gals have either made some bad descisions or in some cases are the classic “bad things happening to good people”. We were all impressed by the family attitude the Y offers: “We are here when you need us, no matter how often you need us and we’ll be here when you decide it’s time for some changes” If that kind of support is out there for young ladies, then you have to assume that somewhere, it’s out there for old men too. I find that very comforting! We’ve all volunteered a bit over the years but this was the first time that I’ve ever done anything like this. I will do more, I promise. Over the past few months I’ve been thinking that it’s time to start giving a little back to this world we live in. I didn’t make a big difference in anybody elses life on Christmas day but I do feel a little bit better about what I can do for this world, and that I have started down that path.

Speaking of stories; after we finished at the Y we headed to the movies to see Sweeny Todd: http://www.sweeneytoddmovie.com/ . Let me warn you: that movie is not even close to what you see in the trailers. Did we enjoy it? Yes, Are we still talking about it? Yes. Are we used to the site of spewing blood? No. We have promised ourselves the next movie will be http://thebucketlist.warnerbros.com/ with Jack Nicholson. New Years Eve, here we come.

Hi Dad,

Welcome to you new site. I hope you like it. We can fine tune it later… We just wanted it to be a suprise!!

Are you suprised??

Love you,

Jason and Elizabeth Vanstone