Recap of 2024

 For those on Facebook, our lives are an open book there... but for others, I have decided at this late stage of life that a short(?) newletter of our lives, interests and accomplishments is in order to keep in touch.  I think I may have gone overboard with the links but they are there more for me than you...lol!

The year started off with Nana Clare going back into hospital after a stretch of 6 weeks around Christmas when she was home (mid-Nov to beginning of Jan).  We actually were able to bring her home for Christmas Day 2023 (rigging up a palanquin to bring her into the front door so that she would not need to navigate the stairs from the garage) after a Christmas Eve party at her place in Chartwell! This was the second of a total of three back-to-back hospitalizations which started in the beginning of Oct 2023 a few days before we were to embark on a (cancelled) bucket-list trip to Equador and the Galapagos!

With Nana on the mend, we booked a consolation trip to Barbados with Air Canada Vacations and spent a glorious week in the sun at the Blue Horizon just off Rockley Beach.  Daily walks along the Richard Haynes boardwalk allowed us to indulge a bit on the local fare.  I was pleasantly surprised by the availability of vegetarian options at most restaurants.  Back in Canada, with Nana on the mend, we got her back to Chartwell after some hairy moments, one memorable one being the whole family being called in to pay our last respects.  Nana pulled through and was back to enjoying the amenities of her retirement home.  However, that was not to last.

Our first meal in Barbados at Blakely's on Rockley Beach

After returning from Barbados, I joined Alex and the boys to attend the Toronto Auto Show after not going for several years.  Not being in the market for a new vehicle, the show held little sway for me.  However, this time the draw was attending with my grandsons!  Caught up with car enthusiast Trevor Lamas who was manning the Porsche auto racing booth there.  Arjun celebrated his 6th birthday (Mar 1, kids party at a playhouse) with a nice home party for family on the 2nd.

In early April I was awarded the Phil Green Award for my efforts to bring the joy of cycling to home bound seniors through a Charity I started in 2022 called Cycling Without Age - Mississauga.  It was a surprise to find out I had been nominated, and even more that I had won this prestigious award for encouraging cycling in the city.  An article in the local newspaper by veteran journalist and friend put some of my local activites into perspective.  I have collated most of the coverage of the award in a page  on my Cycling Without Age - Mississauga blog.

On April 7th, we made a trip down to Brockport NY to witness the 2024 solar eclipse in it's totality from cousin James Jude's place just outside Rochester.  We enjoyed his hospitality and visiting with his two gorgeous daughters.

Easter lunch at old haunt Bombay Bhel on Hurontario in Mississauga with the whole family

A few weeks after resuming our trishaw rides along the Waterfront Trails in Port Credit and adding another retirement home (Shores of Port Credit) to our roster (of one.. Port Credit Residences) we were summoned back to Chartwell where Nana had fallen and was incapacitated.  It was obvious by her expression and immobility that this time she had broken something!  After three hours of waiting for the ambulance to arrive (frustrating!!) our fears were confirmed that indeed she had broken her hip which would need surgery to avoid being bed ridden.  Nana was adamant that she did not want to be bed ridden so the surgery was performed successfully and she was back at Chartwell.  However, this time, due to her confinement to a wheel chair, it was becoming apparent that her time there was limited.

A week after being discharged we were happy to receive a call from a nearby long term care facility that she had been accepted as a private room there had come available.  A week later, she was transferred to Extendicare Mississauga. 

However, knowing that she has twenty-four hour care and supervision with meals, supplies, laundry and activities included, it has put our (predominantly her daughters') minds at ease and visits are much more enjoyable. 

Mid April found us driving down to NJ to celebrate A. Cissy's 80th.  Alex and family decided to join us at the celebration which was attended by other family from Canada and the US.  It was a nice time to get together with cousins we hadn't seen for a few years.  We all bunked at Cleo's place with Ken & Charmaine as well as Cheryl & Hubert.  When we got back we had a 'boys night out' to Hamilton to watch the Monster Truck show.

At the end of April, we decided to take a short break and drove up to Collingwood to spend a week at the Blue Mountain resort.  Ski season was just ending and summer rush hadn't built up yet so it was a perfect time to be there to enjoy the facilities without the usual crowds.  We explored the surrounding areas and did some nice hikes along the waterfront including a full day in the town of Collingwood.

The summer was busy with bike rides through Streetsville Slow Rollers and trishaw rides for seniors through Cycling Without Age - Mississauga and bike trailer rides for the grandsons in addition to regular vet duties at the hospital for three days of the week.

On July 1, Canada Day, we participated in the 'Paint the Town Red' Port Credit parade once again joining the Port Credit Slow Rollers.  It was a beautiful day to spend with the family all pitching in to make the day a success.

We missed our grandsons for a month over July/Aug as the family went to India with Papa and Nani to visit relatives and give them a taste of their roots.  They spent 3 weeks in Delhi and a week in Goa before returning with lots of stories for us.

In early September, Lisette booked us a week away at Palm Springs, CA.  It was our first visit to California but unfortunately too far away to visit my sister, Jenny, who was in San Jose.  We never expected to land up there during the hottest week of the year in the Coachella Valley but were thankful for the efficient air conditioning and milder temperatures at the summit of the nearby mountains.  We did the aerial tram ride to San Jacinto peak and a nice scenic drive to the town of Idyllwild.  Being so close to the Joshua Tree National park, we did a drive through it as well to get a flavour of the native scene.

In mid-September, we were happy to host a Bombay Veterinary College classmate, Chandrashekar Kulkarni and his family as they were in the area and made the drive from Niagara to visit us.  We celebrated Aryan's 4th birthday at the end of September and decided to drive down to NJ again to visit Cleo over the Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend as he was not well and due to undergo surgery.  On our way down we inadvertently caught a great sighting of the Northern Lights when we stopped to switch drivers with Alex who accompanied us to NJ.  While there we took a day to visit Manhattan, NY and the Great Elephant Migration that was in town for a few weeks.

On Nov 16th we celebrated Nana's birthday at her new home by reserving a party room there and bringing in her favourite foods.  The highlight of the evening was speaking to her brother in London and sister in Australia.  The newest member of the family, Nutmeg, made her debut that evening as well.