Merry Christmas
John & Eleanor Coulthard
December, 2011
(Click on a picture to see a larger version - use the back key to return to this page).

To all our friends who still enjoy the traditional Xmas letter (and aren't too busy twittering and tweeting?). We wish you good health and happiness. We still remember old friends and family and good times.

And with this start I have copied a quote from Kathy's (Eleanor's sister) Xmas letter of 2009, If wrinkles must be written upon our brows, let them not be written upon the heart. The spirit should never grow old.  - James Garfield (1831-1881: 20th president of the US).

We are both a little more wrinkled but enjoying life. I am enjoying my singing and our peaceful life here on Galiano Island. Eleanor has been travelling more this fall. Our offspring are happy and their grand children bring us great enjoyment.

In January we flew to Cuba to sing again, this time for three weeks. We figured the extra week would be good for the recovery of Eleanor's back from her fall the previous year. Lots of relaxing and good exercise snorkeling in the ocean and swimming in the pool certainly helped and Eleanor was up dancing with the rest of the gang at the wind up party. 

Yes Eleanor has recovered. Here is a picture of us up on Mt. Galiano on July 6th for Eleanor's 70th birthday. Eleanor is on the right. Beside her are her sister Kathy and husband Brian. Next along is Eleanor's brother Johnny and his partner Miranda. I am on the left.

It wasn't a lengthy cruising year for us this year but we got in some outstanding short cruises to local beauty spots, Cabbage Island, Wallace Island, James Bay and Saltspring Island. Galiander is getting a little old and wrinkled too but we still love her. 

At the end of June we attended a great family reunion hosted by the Coates clan up in Merritt, BC.  We also spent time visiting Eleanor's Dad who had a fall in April, cracking his collar bone. He had to move into a "home". This was a difficult transition for Jack. As I write this Jack is adjusting to life in a lovely extended care facility called Sunnybank right in Oliver. On his 102 nd birthday the local legion held a birthday party for him. Jack would rather be at home but realizes that would now be impossible and he enjoys the social life at Sunnybank. He loves to see visitors if you are ever in the Oliver area.

Eleanor continues to paint and still manages the display of art at the local Health Care Centre. She has been taking the opportunity to travel this year. In October she went on a three week trip to Malaga, Spain for an art course with Susan Northcott. While she was in Spain she toured several of the white washed tourist towns in the mountains north of Malaga as well as Gibraltar. In November she slipped in a two week trip with the "abuellas locas" (crazy grandmothers) to the Riu Hotel in Cabo San Lucas.

We are both singing in the Galiano Choir again and are looking forward to an exciting Christmas concert.

John & Eleanor

Dec 14, 2011