HAPPY
NEW YEAR
The Year That Was
Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday and the happiest of new years. We have had quite a busy year. We finally got much of the work done in our backyard with new patios, a more environmentally friendly lawn of clovers and creeping red fescue grasses and many new ground covers. We enjoyed the “grand opening” of the lower patio by celebrating July 4th with very special friends.
Charlie
Charlie was our Christmas present to ourselves on December 23, 2021. He brightens every day with his energy and delightful disposition. He loves to chase the squirrels, watch the birds, and sniff about everything while we have our morning coffee. It is a great way to start the day.
Celebrating our 61st
with Parke & Friends
On August 10th we celebrated our 61st wedding anniversary one day early in Toronto at Cluny Bistro & Boulangerie with Parke and some of his best friends. The food was fantastic and the evening truly special.
Canadian Thanksgiving
On the second Monday in October Canada celebrates its Thanksgiving. Parke and some of his special friends went to the Muskokas, about 120 miles north of Toronto for a three-day weekend of hiking, board games, and eating. Just north of the Muskokas is Algonquin Provincial Park. Parke loves Peanut, one of his friend’s dynamic ball of fur.
A Special Birthday
In October we spent a fun football weekend at Virginia Tech with special friends from many, many years ago and then joined Judy's sister for her 80th birthday with many members of her special family and good friends.
Travel
Our travel this year was limited to several trips to Virginia for Judy’s high school reunion, discussions about the pre-school, a weekend with Va Tech friends, Judy’s sister’s birthday, and the Joint Statistical Meetings in Toronto where Blan saw many friends and Judy spent every day with Parke. Blan also went to Philadelphia for the ASQ World Conference on Quality Improvement and IAQ meeting and the EOQ World Quality Conference in Porto where it rained all week - the best Blan could do was a picture from his window.
The Big Event
On November 12th we joined family and friends for the ribbon cutting of the expansion of the Ruby Cashion pre-school at Central Baptist Church in Richmond. Judy’s mother created this school 48 years ago. Much of the expansion was funded by generous gifts from Judy’s late sister Emily’s husband, Ed Hughes, and Judy.