The Christmas Season is upon us. Here in Timmins, Laura has returned from university after her first semester. We now have a large, dense balsam sparkling and twinkling in our living room. As always, it is the most magnificent and best tree ever.... As with your own families, ours has matured one more year, and for us, each Christmas is slightly different. Years ago, Connie and I would be sneaking in toys and goodies, with the kids high with excitement. The mood slowly changes over the years, and now we look forward to a different kind of excitement.; listening to the adventures of University life; romances faded or gone wrong, new friends and the horrors of exams. For Connie and me, Christmas has become a time of 'weighing in.' We indirectly evaluate our 'projects', (Allan and Laura) and thank life's fortunes for giving us the breaks that have allowed them to grow to who they are. We are quite proud of both of them, and as time rolls on we continue to hope that their good fortunes continue. For me personally, The Christmas season is a time for appreciating the year that is ending. And each year, I add a set of new faces and memories to my mental scrapbook. This year has some special memories. January Just before Christmas of 1998, I sent this message to a number of friends. Little did I know that it was to be a message to myself for the year 1999. The 1999 new year opened for us in Sudbury, at brother Allan's. Our families (the four brother's, Mine, Darryl's, Allan's, and Brian's, and our mother, Hilda - - seventeen of us), rang in the year with a Karioke machine that did not shut of until 2:00 a.m. of the first day. It was an enjoyable time. January 15th through April That morning wrenched me from an inner sense of peace into a reality that taught me a lot about the meaning and value of personal identity. For those that know some of my loves, you can read about that day and the following months by Clicking Here... and after reading that, Clicking Here... Much of the rest of January and the next months were focused on understanding what had happened, and determining how to handle the situation. Thanks to my loyal clients I was able to enjoy a September hunt and the promise of continued adventures. But Snobolen's announcement have changed the way I understand political will and action. I am still evaluating the real and long term effects of January 15th, even today. Not only from the personal perspective, but from a political point of view. I still consider the actions by the Ontario Government opposed to the sentiments of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Within our own family, though other positive things were happening. Laura was in her final year of high school, Allan was gradually firming up his plans for the future, and Connie was continuing to keep us all organized, focused, and fed. I was lost in a fog, and fairly negligent in family matters. In the last few years Allan's interest in politics has been growing and he had seen the importance of being politically-aware during the days of long struggling days I endured in January. He had run for Head Boy at school (like a co-president of the Students' Council, one male, and one female) and took on that role for the 1998/1999 school year. During his 'term', he met local politicians like the Mayor, and those that visited Timmins, like Allan Rock, who was Canada's Minister of Justice some time back, and is now Minister of Health. He had applied for and in that month,, received acceptance for a week-long session at the Forum For Young Canadians, He looked forward to learning what he could during his week in Ottawa. They hold four sessions a year, each running with about 150 kids from across Canada. Laura, who had firmed up her plans to enroll in Engineering at Queen's university, was studying for her final exams working towards a set of marks that would prove to bode her well in the year. May - June I wandered through the spring season aware of what I should have been doing, if this was a year like 42 others that had passed. I started a garden. I watered it and watched it grow. Laura graduated in June. Her school efforts won her the Governor General's Medal for the highest six credits for her school. She also picked up a four-year $3000 per year scholarship from Falconbridge Limited, one from Northern Telephone, and one from The Regional School Board. Allan traveled to Ottawa to attend 'Forum." While there, he met several more politicians, and people in the government to add to his collection of 'famous people' he has met. Part of the program at Forum calls for the participants to organize political parties that mirror the provincial and federal set up, kinda a mock government, so that they learn by experience, how things are done, and get a taste for teamwork and the problems of leadership. Each party elects a leader, develops political platforms and policy. To make a long story a bit shorter, he was elected 'Premier of Ontario in the provincial system, and later, in the Federal system made 'Prime Minister' of Canada. He loved it! He got to sit in Chretien's chair in the House of Commons, and even in Chretien's personal Office. I suppose his gift of gab paid off during that week. You can see his 'Forum' pictures By clicking here, and Here... and also, here... He is the one in the (Center, and centre left...) beige suit, and in one of the pictures, white shirt and beige pants, next to the podium... The organizers of Forum were impressed by him, and appointed him as the valedictorian for the closing session of the week, and he was allowed to address the 150-some kids that took part in the program. He came back so high from that experience, that he got involved in the election in June, working as a campaigner for the Liberal Party (Note - this is not Mike Harris' party, nor is it Snobolen's). Being a highly social person, he enjoyed talking to people, wearing suits, and being 'part of the action.' Shortly after the election, he received a letter from the Forum people stating that he had been selected from 536 Forum students of 1999, to attend a week long session in Washington D.C. at a program called 'Future World Leaders Summit' - all expenses paid! The Forum For Young Canadians program gives out one scholarship a year, and he gets it! He heads out to that next July... Pretty amazing.... Since he was a child, Allan has been into hockey in a big way, and now that he is eighteen, he is too old to play in the minor hockey system, and to young to get into the men's league (not drinking age, so after the game, he would have to go home, while the others hit the bars... But again, based on his personality, he managed to do something here too... Last hockey season, (his last) his coaching team saw that he could motivate the rest of the team... again, that ability to talk and banter... and because of that they let him be their 'unofficial motivator in the dressing room before and during the games... the team was mediocre, but had some good wins in which Allan's inspirations seemed to help. At the end of the season, in June, the coaches and team had a family picnic, and at that time, Allan was invited to be a part of the coaching staff for this year... and so he is... He now holds a position as trainer, and spends time with the goalies helping them during practices. Also, in May, when there should have been a hunt, we attended a cousin's (Debra's) wedding in Sault Ste. Marie. Here is a family picture ate that time. (The Kids were off on their own little party at the hotel.) Left To Right: Front Row: Mom, Hilda, Darryl & wife Jane, Allan & wife Laura, Back Row: Brian & wife Loreen, Connie and Lark. July/August July and August for Laura was spent in a butcher shop. She learned to stuff pork-chops and make shish-ka-bobs... and we got to try some of her creations at home... not bad... it was the first time that I had stuffed pork-chops... Allan had a summer job at National Car Rental, ferrying cars to the airport, picking up customers, and washing the rental cars... he enjoyed that for a while, getting to drive shiny new cars and talking with the customers... Brother Brian and I receive word that an article we wrote has been published by Greenhaven Press September Laura was off to Queen's, brought there by Connie and her mom, Ruth. I was busy with a September fall hunt.. Allan was wrapping up his summer job at National, and moving on to Jack Frasers men's store selling, and enjoying the selling game. While at National, Allan got a call from Jack Frasers for a sales position... he jumped at that, having been turned down at another clothing store a while back... He felt that the car rental job would be hard on him during the winter, because they wash cars a good part of the time, get wet, and with winter coming on, did not look forward to being wet and cold... So he took the Jack Frasers job. September brought me a number of new friends, Mike Whalen, Shaky-Legs-Walter, John Smith Sr. and Jr; Gary Wray, and John Kovacs, Rob Tenny, and several others. I had the opportunity to spend time with each of them; not much, but enough to feel that we are now somehow connected through common experience.. The September hunt for some, was a first time experience. The first time into the wilds of Canada, the first sit, and the first sighting. They entered a different country, both physically and mentally. I believe each of them took away impressions that continue to grow in value. Each trek, I am sure, has its own memories. What becomes special, after the excitement has long passed, is the cooperating and sharing, the common focus that we so easily fall into, as if it was a part of our being that was always there. Each helped others adjust and test equipment, traded and shared vehicles. As they drove the roads to make a pickup, they wondered how the evening had gone for a particular hunter. These behaviours are the facets of hunting that we value long after the hunt. October - November In late September, Laura's former school guidance counselor telephoned Connie to suggest that Laura apply for another scholarship. The only problem was that the application was due in a few short days. Hearing that, Connie arranged to leave work early that day, got the application, worked with Laura over the phone (she was then attending Queen's University Click Here to Visit Laura, at Queen's ) to complete and submit the documents. We forgot about the application until late October, when we received a letter informing us that Laura had qualified for an award. There was some additional paperwork and proof of attendance at Queen's that was necessary to wrap it all up. We did that, expecting some award of fifty to two hundred dollars. In early November, I returned home after work to find Connie at the door to hand me an envelope. She had a serious look on her face, which lead me to think that the letter was from the MNR, or something as forboding. I read the letter, which congratulated Laura for her efforts in school. Attached to the letter was a cheque for $3,625 towards her school expenses. She had been one of ten Northern Ontario students to receive such an award. Chalk another one up for Laura' perseverance, and Connie's diligence! Allan continues at Jack Frasers. Being the gabber that he is, Allan's ability to interact with people is paying off. Sales seem to come his way like magic. He was recognized as having top sales for the Region during November. It is an acknowledgment that he earned, and is proud of. November brings Connie some new adventures. She is selected/convinced to join a project with the hospital to bring in a new computer system, and is scheduled for a training course in Bostom, December 8th. I received letter from Laurie, a birth daughter. Much of what is written here has been extracted from several letters to her, keeping her up to date with our family. The same news is shared with you. Gramma Ritchie (Hilda) and Laurie, March 1999. December Laura is here with us. My mom is here for the holidays. Darryl is in Hawaii, Allan is in Sudbury, Brian is in Toronto. It will be a quiet time. At Christmas, much like you, Connie and I thank the stars and God for our good fortune with our children, and we personally savour the memories of the year. They intertwine with our life-years of special people, adventures and experiences. Life has many fortunes, many gratitudes that can never be paid, only acknowledged. Much of our fortunes we owe to very special people like you. Whether you know it or not, your interactions with us enrich our lives and carry us into the year 2000. Thank you, and Merry Christmas to each of you. Lark, Connie, Laura, and Allan.