Christmas, the New Year & a Retreat from my Favourite Retreat....

CHRISTMAS 2010

Christmas 2010 with my family

Sam, Dustin, Mojo, me, Brodie & Nellie - 1st Christmas in our Hornby Island home

Christmas came and went so fast and now we are once again looking forward to a new year. Another big change is in the wind with Sam retiring about mid year.

I so totally enjoyed being my own person for a lot of 2010. I think I have finally become accustomed to being "just me". I enjoy being a bit of a hermit now as it leaves me time to work on that which inspires me the most - creating art!

We have been so fortunate so far in that our kids have always been home for Christmas. Two years ago Brodie made it all the way from Thailand to arrive back in Sooke at 11:30 p.m. on Christmas Day, after a 65 hour trip. This year Dustin also made it home after an 11 month adventure in Australia arriving home December 16th. So Christmas with Dustin and Brodie was wonderful as usual and I cherish having them around us and always will.

We will be ringing in the New Year at the Hornby Island Community Hall with Marc Atkinson (a world renowned Hornby Island musician) along with his quartet and a couple of special guests. I believe they will be playing a gypsy caravan type style of music. We get to spend New Year's Eve with some of our Hornby friends but then we will be getting together with old friends from Sooke the following week for a nice dinner out at a restaurant.

So, now I move on to our newest location in Victoria for a couple of months. I am sad knowing that I won't have room to paint there and won't have the peace and tranquility that goes along with this island I now call home but I will put to good use my new pastels that Brodie gave me for Christmas and also hope to take a painting lesson or two, and maybe try some other creative endeavour. I will enjoy seeing Sam almost every day for awhile and also I am lucky to have some good friends to walk with and of course my dogs are always happy to keep me company anywhere I go.

So, on we go and I just wanted to wish everyone a wonderful New Year!~ With love, Karen

(P.S. May not get as much chance to post for awhile as we may not have internet right away).

Some very rainy days....and Christmas is coming!

Well, it is almost mid-December and I appear to still be at Hornby Island and have survived some pretty wet and miserable days, and a couple of crazy ferry rides to Courtenay. I am gradually meeting more people here and have attended 2 luncheons at the New Horizon's Centre (for 55 and over people.....can't believe that I'm there). These are great lunches that everyone volunteers to help with and you get amazing soup, sandwiches and goodies ~ all for $5.00 plus someone usually does a slide show and a talk. The first one had to do with Hornby summer vacations as a child so there was some pretty interesting history from someone who is over 55 and used to come here starting when she was about 10 years old. The 2nd talk was from the doctor and nurse that practiced here for 24 years and who both still live on the island. It had to do with what it is like living and working as a physician and nurse up in the Northwest Territories which they have been doing for quite a number of years.

Sam and I have had a pretty hectic time in the last few months dealing with our rental house in Sooke and some pretty horrid furnace smells permeating everything we own in that house. We are moving again into a new rental while Sam does his remaining 6 months at work. This time it is a fully furnished executive suite in Victoria only 1 km. from where Sam works. The best part is our dogs are allowed to be there so it looks like I am going to have to leave my cherished home at Hornby Island and spend a couple of months in Victoria with my sweetiepie. It might feel like we're livng in a nice hotel and I'm sure that I will find lots there to keep me busy. Unfortunately I will likely not have room to paint so I'll need to find some other outlets for my creativity. I'm thinking I might see about taking some painting lessons as it's always good to pick up techniques and tips as you go along. I'm sure I will enjoy going out for a few lunches and dinners in restaurants as well. Not much of this at Hornby Island during the winter months.

Sam and I have also attended pub & games night at the New Horizons with some Hornby friends. It was really fun and nice to meet new people once again. We also went to the Christmas Fair last weekend ~ it never ceases to amaze me how artistic and creative people can be at these events.

One last bit of news is that Dustin, my oldest son, will be returning from Australia after almost 11 months so I will be picking him up with my friend Moe at the airport on Thursday and he'll be living with us in Victoria until he can get his life back in order. The best part is that we will all (Sam, me, Dustin, Brodie, Nellie & Mojo) be together for Christmas at Hornby Island this year for the 1st time! I'm very excited about that!

In case I don't post again before Christmas......I would just like to extend my best wishes to all my friends & family for a wonderful Christmas and a most fabulous and Happy New Year! XXX OOO

P.S. I have just completed another painting so that will be up on my Acrylic's page very shortly.