Happy New Year!

 2025

Another year has passed

and we're all a little older.

Last summer felt hotter

and winter seems much colder

There was a time not long ago

when life was quite a blast

Now I fully understand

about "Living in the Past"

We used to go to weddings,

hockey games and lunches. 

Now we go to funeral homes,

and after-funeral brunches.

We used to have hangovers,

from parties that were wild.

Now we suffer body aches

and wish the night would die.

We used to go out dining,

and couldn't get our fill.

Now we ask for doggie bags,

come home and take a pill.

We used to often travel

to places near and far.

Now we get sore asses

from riding in the car.

We used to go to nightclubs

and drink a little booze.

Now we stay home at night

and watch the evening news.

That my friend is how life is,

and now my tale is told.

So, enjoy each day and live it up...

before you're too damned old!

Christmas is over....

 

Update on abandoned kittens

 

What a sweet face.  This is the mother of the kittens that were abandoned.  I found this on the Surrey SPCA Facebook site.  I heard the mother was around but I didn't know the SPCA captured her and took her to safety.

I've been asked if the cameras caught the people who abandoned the kittens.  It was dark and the lighting is poor.  Do the police get involved?  Sure if they have information but we can't give them enough information.  

At least the mother and her kittens are safe and will be adopted shortly!

People are horrible, I am appalled!

I am filling in for a friend who is in Malaysia on vacation.  She does accounting for a relatives companies.  It's only for five weeks. Yesterday, I went in to the warehouse office to prepare accounts payable and payroll.

I got a call from the owner who said “under no circumstances, don’t go to the back of the warehouse”!  It was Leslie’s day off, but there was an important delivery being made and she needed to come in.  It's a good thing she did!  She heard kittens meowing.  Last night some horrible person abandoned three kittens in the garbage bin!  They were wet and cold and one didn’t have a tail!   They called the SPCA who came within 20 minutes.  Troy found a can of tuna and fed them before the SPCA arrived!

Good news.  The kittens will be okay.  The SPCA said they can be adopted in 3 – 4 days.  Every kitten has been adopted by employees of the company!  How can people be so horrible?   If Leslie didn’t come in, they may not have been found!  

A happy ending to a horrific story!

Happy Thoughts

 

Happy Boxing Day!

We had a wonderful Christmas.  Getting together with family is what Christmas is about.  My daughter, Cheryl, had the entire family over and cooked a delicious dinner.

• Turkey
• Ham
• Sweet Potatoes
• Brussel Sprouts with bacon
• Carrots
• Peas
• Mashed potatoes, the light version with Cream Cheese and Heavy Cream!
• Peas
• Stuffing
• Cranberries fresh not like the canned she got as a child
• Gravy

Two hours later we had room for dessert, your choice

• Black Forest Cake (I bought it)
• Chocolate Cheesecake (she made it)
• Harrods Figgy Pudding 
• Harrods Christmas Pudding  purchased from the UK with her tea!
• Shortbread and Truffles (thanks to Uncle Brad)

What a fabulous dinner!

Everyone took home leftovers!  She kept the Harrods puddings for another dinner as there was so much dessert and everyone wanted cheesecake and Black Forest cake.  Thank you Cheryl and Dave for a wonderful evening!

Merry Shipmass

 From our house to yours, Merry Christmas!

One more sleep, let's remember

My First Christmas in Heaven

I see the countless Christmas trees around the world below,

With tiny lights like heavens stars, reflecting on the snow.

The sight is so spectacular, please wipe away the tear

For I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold so dear,

But the sounds of music can’t compare with the Christmas choir up here.

I have no words to tell you, the joy their voices bring,

For it is beyond description to hear the angels sing.

I know how much you miss me, I see the pain inside your heart.

But I am not so far away, we really aren’t apart.

So be happy for me dear one.  You know I hold you dear.

And be glad I’m spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

I send you such a special gift, from my heavenly home above.

I send you each a memory of my undying love.

After all love is a gift, more precious than pure gold.

It was always most important in the stories Jesus told.

Please love and keep each other, as my Father said to do,

For I can’t count the blessings of love He has for each of you.

So have a Merry Christmas and wipe away that tear,

Remember, I’m spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

Unknown author

It's time for Aunty Acid

 

Junior Achievement - Lindsay Duthie

My best friend growing up was Carol Smith.  She was a member of Junior Achievement.  She really enjoyed it and it made a huge impact on her life.  She lost her oldest son in 2022 and her brother Ken, has set up a fund.  I know this time of year we are inundated with contributions, but this one is special.  It's a non-profit organization and you will get a tax receipt.  

The Lindsay Duthie Memorial Fund was created by his family to support Indigenous youth through the JA Company Program, providing them with entrepreneurial and life skills to shape their futures.

Lindsay's Legacy

Lindsay Duthie’s life was a testament to resilience, creativity, and the spirit of adventure. In his memory, the Lindsay Duthie Memorial Fund was established to empower Indigenous youth by giving them the tools and opportunities to succeed in business and life.

Lindsay's Story

Lindsay was born in 1976 in Edmonton, Alberta, to parents from the Slavey tribe, part of the Dene Nation. Unable to raise him at such a young age, his birth mother put Lindsay up for adoption. He was soon welcomed into the Duthie family, where he grew up surrounded by love and opportunity.

From an early age, Lindsay showed a zest for life. He traveled internationally with his family, became a big brother, and pursued his passions for sports and cooking. His love for math and hands-on learning led him to a career in the culinary arts, where he worked at restaurants, pubs, and even a fishing lodge on the B.C. coast.

Throughout his life, Lindsay cherished nature, particularly the ocean, finding peace living on the Gulf Islands. He was also an avid Edmonton Oilers fan and a self-taught musician who loved playing guitar.

Lindsay passed away at the age of 46, but his memory continues to inspire. 

Make a Gift to Honour Lindsay Duthie

By supporting the JA Company Program for Indigenous Learners, you are not only honouring Lindsay’s legacy but also investing in the next generation of Indigenous leaders, helping them realize their potential.

We invite you to join us in making a gift to support youth education in B.C. and to provide Indigenous learners access to a life-changing JA program this school year, free of charge. 

Warmest regards,

The Duthie Family and Uncle Ken!

Pierre Trudeau's walk in the snow

I remember this day in 1984 and wondered how many other Canadians remembered it too?  Do you think Justin will take a walk in the snow?

Near the end of his fourth term in office, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau went for his famous walk in the snow on Feb. 28, 1984 and announced the next day he would not run again. The city had a blizzard that day but whether he actually went for a walk might be questioned. It seemed to be a rhetorical device he often employed.

In his memoirs, Trudeau said he decided to run for the Liberal leadership in 1968 following Lester Pearson’s resignation after going for a walk in the snow during which he “agonized over whether to stand for the leadership of the Liberal Party.” He said his final decision to retire was easier.

Asked by reporters why he would not run again, Trudeau responded: “I had a good day yesterday … and it seemed like a good day to have a last day.” In fact, he would serve four more months.

His most difficult political decision may have been in 1979, after announcing his resignation as party leader on Nov. 29, nearly six months after Joe Clark’s Tories beat his Liberals. The Clark ministry was likely to be short-lived and Trudeau seemed ready to pass the reins to another Liberal so they could be in place in time for the next federal election.

However, Clark’s time in office was shorter than expected (273 days) and there was pressure on Trudeau to stay.

John English reports in Just Watch Me: The Life of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, that on Dec. 16, the Liberal leader went for “a walk to think about his future” during which he “trod the empty, snow-covered streets of Ottawa.”

Going for a walk in the snow was clearly a trope that Trudeau liked to use. (He also said he went for a walk along the beach in Toronto in November when he decided to announce he would not stay on as leader before reversing himself the next month.)

Pierre Elliot Trudeau was in office for 15 years 1964 days

Justin Trudeau as of today has been in office 9 years 47 days

Anelia

Aniela is my first cousins granddaughter.  He passed away a few years ago and I am sure he would be thrilled with her accomplishments.  What a wonderful honour for a lovely young lady!

Our up and coming young environmentalist and super Mossom volunteer, Aniela Guzikowski, has been awarded the Dr. M. Wosk Environmental Award. Here's the announcement from the Metro Van Regional Parks Foundation newsletter: 

We are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2024 Dr. M. Wosk Environmental Leadership Award! These incredible students have impressed us with their dedication to academics and their communities, and we’re so proud to celebrate their achievements. This year, we awarded a total of $2,000 to three inspiring young leaders: Aniela Guzikowski, Jade Tao, and Jenna Dong.

A special shoutout to our first-place winner, Aniela Guzikowski, whose accomplishments are nothing short of extraordinary. Since 2018, Aniela has been a dedicated volunteer at Mossom Creek Hatchery, spent three summers with Metro Vancouver Beachkeepers, and launched a public awareness campaign to combat cigarette butt pollution in 2019. She even took the stage as a TEDx Bear Creek Park speaker in 2020.

That same year, Aniela earned the Port Moody Environmental Award and was recognized as a Salish Sea Hero by the SeaDoc Society. She’s also a peer tutor, a former student council member, and someone who consistently finds ways to improve her community and environment.

Canada Post was ordered back to work

The Canadian Industrial Relations Board ordered the Canadian Union of Postal Workers back to work on Tuesday.  In Vancouver other unions put up a "community picket line" protesting the move.  It was removed yesterday and finally the mail is moving.  Nothing has been resolved and it may all happen again in May.  

The volunteers haven't heard anything about Santa letters, but there is no way we will get many done.  Even if we did reply, the backlog is huge and they wouldn't receive replies before Christmas.

This was posted last night on the City News website:

While many are unhappy with the return to work order issued for Canada Post, those who wrote letters to Santa are pleased to learn they will arrive.

Canada Post operations reopened on Tuesday and workers have said as operations ramp up, letters to Santa will be handled with special care.

“The scanners in our plants are set up to locate Santa letters, which are identified by the H0H 0H0 postal code,” Canada Post said in a statement. “This allows us to deliver these letters straight to the North Pole. We will be doing this for all Santa letters mailed by Dec. 23.”

Canada Post has promised that Santa is eager to see what is on childrens wish lists but does state that this year Santa will not have time to respond.

The Santa letter program brings some joy to the bargaining situation which culminated in a nearly month-long strike.

“We are so privileged to be able to connect children and Santa over the holidays through our Santa letter program,” Canada Post said. “We wish everyone from coast to coast to coast a merry and joyous Christmas.”

Obituary

The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes to the belly. Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin with the gravesite piled high with many flours.

Numerous celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, Betty Crocker, the California Raisins, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch.

Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded.

Born in 1965 and bread in Minnesota, Poppin’ Fresh rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was never considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half baked schemes.

A little flaky, he was known as crusty man, but still considered a positive “roll” model to millions.

Doughboy is survived by his wife Play Dough; three children – John Dough, Jane Dough, and Dosey Dough…plus, they had a bun in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly uncle, Pop-Tart. The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 15 minutes.

Cloverdale - Langley City By-Election

 I live in the Electoral district of Cloverdale - Langley City.  Our member of parliament was John Aldag.  He resigned to run for the New Democratic Party in our last provincial election.  He lost.  

The Federal Government picked December 16th to be our voting day.  With Canada Post on strike, we never got any information.  No one received a voting card.  Our snowbird neighbours could not vote by mail.  I did not get a call or door knock from any political party.  I do my best to keep informed and told everyone in our district where to vote in the advance polls and also on election day.

Not a surprise the Conservative candidate was elected with a huge majority.  Confidence in our present government is at an all time low.

With a voter turnout of  16.27% of registered voters, this was a complete waste of tax payer dollars!  There will be an election on or before October 25, 2025.  With what happened yesterday, it could be called today!

Cloverdale—Langley City

Party	Candidate	Votes	Percentof Votes
Conservative	Tamara Jansen	9,931	66.3 %
Liberal	Madison Fleischer	2,401	16.0 %
NDP-New Democratic Party	Vanessa Sharma	1,875	12.5 %
Green Party	Patrick McCutcheon	580	3.9 %
People's Party - PPC	Ian Kennedy	133	0.9 %
Libertarian	Alex Joehl	59	0.4 %
Total number of valid votes:		14,979

Polls Reporting: 122 of 122 (100 %)

Voter Turnout: 14,979 of 92,061 registered electors (16.27 %) -- does not include electors who registered on election day.

Population: 130,665

Number of electors on list: 92,061

Having a bad day?

 

I'm giving up!

 I'm giving up chocolate for a month!

Bad punctuation....

I'm giving up.  Chocolate for a month!

Wind storm yesterday!

We received the alerts, ferries were cancelled but I didn't think it would be as severe inland as it was.  Our power went out at 10:26 AM.  Because we have so many businesses around us, we were very fortunate and it went back on at 1:58 PM!  

Cec has a tablet where he's loaded lots of music and movies.  The tablet had a full charge so we were amused during the power and TV outage.

We are fortunate to live on the east side of 152 Street.  The west side had power off all day and the lights were turned back on at 11:10 PM!  That was a 12 hour power outage.  The intersection of Hwy. 10 & 152 Street has battery backup for the street lights.  Around 4:30 PM the battery died and it became a four way stop.  The traffic mayhem was unbelievable.  All night we heard sirens.  One person was killed in South Surrey by being hit by a fallen tree.  In our strata, one tree went down, but I don't believe did any damage.  A fence also blew over.  Our TV and internet was out for over 6 hours.  We were fortunate to get lights and television back quickly.  Others have not been so fortunate.

Trees and debris from trees were blocking roads.  The picture below is Highway 99 at Lions Bay.  There was a landslide and the road will be closed for hours.  Lots of people will be stranded as it's the road from Whistler to Vancouver!

A reception centre has been opened at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, 4599 Chateau Blvd in the Upper Village, for those without accommodation from the closure of BC Hwy 99.

BC Hydro says more than 280,000 customers across the south coast lost power on Saturday due to the windstorm. As of 7:30 p.m., the number of customers without power had gone down to about 77,000.

Have you lost a loved one this year?

 

We stand together

 

Dick Van Dyke

The terrible fires in Malibu have meant evacuations for many stars such as Cher, Barbra Streisand and Dick Van Dyke.  Let's hope they don't lose their homes.  I was sent this video of Dick Van Dyke and Cold Play.  It has been circulated and has more than 7 million views.  If you haven't seen it, enjoy!  It will make your heart smile.

Having a heart attack and you are alone.....

When you are alone and have a heart attack. What are you gonna do then?

1. Take a 2 minute break and read this: Let's say it's 5:25 pm and you're driving home after an unusually hard day's work.

2.  You are really tired and frustrated. All of a sudden your chest pains. They are starting to radiate in the arm and jaw. It feels like being stabbed in the chest and heart. You're only a few miles away from the nearest hospital or home.

3. Unfortunately you don't know if you can make it...

4. Maybe you've taken CPR training, but the person running the course hasn't told you how to help yourself.

5. How do you survive a heart attack when you're alone when it happens? A person who is feeling weak and whose heart is beating hard has only about 10 seconds before losing consciousness.

6. But you can help yourself by coughing repeatedly and very strongly! Deep breaths before every cough. Coughing should be repeated every second until you arrive at the hospital or until your heart starts to beat normally.

7. Deep breathing gives oxygen to your lungs 🫁  and coughing movements boost the heart and blood circulation. Heart pressure also helps to restore a normal heartbeat. Here's how cardiac arrest victims can make it to the hospital for the right treatment.

8. Cardiologists say if someone gets this message and passes it on to 10 people, we can expect to save at least one life.☝🏻

9. FOR WOMEN 👭: You should know that women have additional and different symptoms. Rarely have crushing chest pain or pain in the arms. Often have indigestion and tightness across the back at the bra line plus sudden fatigue.  

Cloverdale Santa Train

In the early 1950's my mom and I would ride the tram from Central Park to downtown Vancouver.  A group of volunteers, refurbished the trams and they have rides throughout the summer from Cloverdale to Sullivan Station in Surrey.  We've done the summer rides and they are a lot of fun.  This year, the Fraser Valley Rail Heritage Society had a special Santa Train Ride.  My cousins Stephen and Laurie Dalziel lived on Cecil Street in Vancouver.  Stephen told me they got the tram at Joyce street in East Vancouver.  They still get together with "The Cecil Street Gang" for lunches.  Stephen (AKA Gumboot") sent me an email and asked if I wanted to join them at the Santa Ride.

We all met at the Cloverdale Rail Station.

The trip started at the train station where they sang Christmas Carols.  Then we boarded our tram and went into barn where it was all decorated!   The volunteers at the Cloverdale Train Station did an awesome job of the decorations!

After tram ride, we all went to Ricky's in Cloverdale for a lovely lunch!  

What a wonderful afternoon spent with friends and cousin's!  

If you want to know about this excellent organization of volunteers:

https://fvhrs.org/

Happy Birthday Lexie a little early

 

Lexie has been to two Taylor Swift concerts.  One in 2018 in Los Angeles and the other was in Seattle at Lumen Field on July 22, 2023 when a 2.3 magnitude earthquake was recorded.   The Swifties were singing Shake it Off!  She still talks about the experience.

We all tried to get tickets to Taylor Swift's concert in Vancouver.  It's probably a good thing we didn't get tickets for the Friday or Saturday performances as she was writing exams at university on both days.  She wouldn't have been able to attend either concert!  

Dave, Cheryl and Lexie are invited to a family Christmas brunch in Tsawwassen on Sunday morning.  Lexie asked Cheryl if they could go downtown to "Taylorgate" and see all the displays.  That was the plan.  I know how much she loves Taylor Swift and seeing what has been transpiring downtown I decided to buy her a ticket on StubHub for Sunday's concert.  It's Taylor's last Era Tour concert.  

Her birthday is in March, but I gave her an early birthday present last night after her exams!  She was so excited!

Taylor Swift comes to Vancouver

Lexie is standing by this sign. 
She was downtown on Wednesday to see Billie Eilish

The town is ready for the last performance of Taylor Swift's two year long Era's tour.  It started last night and will end on Sunday.  People have flown in from around the world to see it.  Cheryl saw two people get out of a car and go into the house across the street with suitcases.  A mom and her two daughters flew to Vancouver to see Taylor!  

This car was seen in Vancouver and I'm sure there are many more:

If you weren't lucky enough to get tickets, there are so many Taylor Swift events happening you can still get in on the fun.  I'm staying far away from downtown as there are two hockey games and Cirque du soleil performances also.  They've added busses and they will run much later.  BC Ferries has added a 1 AM sailing to Victoria!  The town is full of visitors and is ready for the huge event! 

Vancouver is home to the gorgeous Gastown Steam Clock.  It was built by Ray Saunders my good friend Margaret's cousin.  Sadly he passed away in November.  Here is the article from the Vancouver Sun:

Gastown Steam Clock salute to Taylor Swift

Santa, please....

Dear Santa:

THIS YEAR

PLEASE BRING  ME

A BIG FAT BANK ACCOUNT 

AND A SLIM BODY.

 

PLEASE DONT 

MIX THE TWO UP

LIKE YOU DID  

LAST YEAR.

 

THANKS!

Canada Post Strike

 

19 days and they are still on strike.  Canada Post took the deadline for Letters to Santa off their website today.  It doesn't sound like there will be an end to this soon.  It's very hard on the remote communities.  

My overworked mailbox!

Canada Post is on strike in Canada so we aren't getting any junk mail.  However, my email inbox has been inundated with emails from every airline, cruise line, hotel, big box store, department store, grocery store, shoe store, drug store, online stores and every other merchant I have dealt with or given my information too.  I signed up for these, but I don't appreciate five emails in five days from the same company.  

I don't mind getting them on Black Friday, but they started Thursday and even last night I got a few that said only 6 hours until Cyber Monday is over, check out the savings now!  I got Cyber Monday emails on Sunday night, Monday morning and Monday night!

Today, I plan on unsubscribing to most of them.  

Anyone else feel overwhelmed?

Cactus

I've had this cactus since 2020.  Every few months it flowers!  I love to see the buds when they appear.

It will flower again at Easter.  What a beautiful plant!

Goodbye Surrey RCMP!

On November 29th thanks to our NDP Government, the RCMP discontinued being the Police of Jurisdiction in Surrey.   We now have our own Surrey Police Service.  I've written a lot on this blog regarding the police transition.  Counsellor Linda Annis was on Global TV yesterday and she summed it up.  "We should have been given a referendum six years ago". If we did, this boondoggle would have never happened.  Had the taxpayers decided by a democratic vote, we would all accept whatever the outcome was.  They never did a business plan or cost/benefit analysis and the city went forward blind.  Only when we had an election and changed mayors did we start finding our what the actual cost would be.

After a court battle, which the city lost, the NDP Government gave the city $250 million dollars to help with the additional costs.  Will it be enough?  We will find out in ten years when the funds run out.

The RCMP did an excellent job policing Surrey since 1951!  I am a block watch coordinator and know many of the RCMP officers.  Right now the new Surrey Police Services only has enough manpower to police two of five districts in the city.  They say it will take over the entire city in two years, but it's taken six years to get 2 districts out of 5 districts staffed. The RCMP will police the other three districts until the SPS recruits enough officers to fill the vacancies.  In this day and age, policing isn't the preferred job it was in the 1960's and staffing is an issue for every police force.  

They recommend at least 800 police officers for our city.  As of today, the Surrey Police Services has:  Senior Officers: 29 · Staff Sergeants: 20 · Sergeants: 95 · Constables: 302.     

The reason it's called the Surrey Police Service is because Surrey Police have been responsible for police services in Surrey, south east England since 1851.  They didn't want to be confused.  Surrey Police in the UK have 2,134 police officers and 141 special constables!

After university, Dave, my son-in-law applied to the RCMP.  He was already engaged to Cheryl, but they would wait until after depot to have the wedding.  Dave was a licensed security guard through university and worked at the downtown night clubs.  According to my daughter, he was a great guy to know because at Mars or Richard's on Richard, he worked the door.  Her and her friends always got VIP treatment.  Dave got a rejection letter from the RCMP.  He had the qualifications however the reason:  "we are hiring only ethnic and indigenous officers now".  No whites needed!  I must say his parents were happy because of the dangers RCMP officers face.  He never reapplied to the RCMP or any other police force as he got a good job in private industry.

This poem was written by Ivan Scott, the founder of  "Keep the RCMP in Surrey".

Ode to the Surrey RCMP                                     29 November 2024

Beneath the Maple's steadfast shade,
The RCMP in Surrey stood, unswayed.
Seventy-two years, their duty embraced,
A shield of justice, our city’s grace.

Five lives given in courage’s name,
In sacrifice, they forged their flame.
Guardians bold, through night and strife,
They walked the line to guard our life.

With red serge proud and hearts of steel,
They served with honor, their creed was real.
Yet now, they’re cast by ruling hand,
Dismissed by force, not citizen’s stand.

Fifty thousand voices raised in plea,
“Keep the Mounties, let them be!”
Petitions signed, elections fought,
Yet justice for the people sought.

Our voices drowned by power’s decree,
A travesty in democracy.
To those who swore to serve, not reign,
You’ve turned away, and left disdain.

To Surrey’s heroes, we raise this verse,
Your loss, our city’s bitter curse.
Though uniforms fade, your honor shines,
Forever etched in Surrey’s lines.

May history mark this somber day,
When voices of the many were swept away.
But gratitude for you will never part,
RCMP, you’re in Surrey’s heart.

We tried.

Ivan Michael Scott – Founder of KEEP THE RCMP IN SURREY Campaign

Peter Short – Director of KEEP THE RCMP IN SURREY Campaign