2025 Holiday Letter

Hey Everyone Merry merry! 

Since I did an update after my birthday (scroll down to next post to read it) I'm just going to pick up where I left off back in August. 

We had another week at Camp Camp this year and on our way, stayed the night with our friend Ida who currently lives right near the Quebec/Maine border. The house is for sale though, so probably the last year we will do that. We were lucky we made it. There was an obstacle on the freeway that Serge was confused by what he was seeing and then he swerved going really fast (please do not try this) and let's just say it was really close to being a fiery wreck. We were so traumatized that neither of us brought it up for a full 10 days until we were on the drive home. 

Camp camp was wonderful this year since there was no COVID rampaging. I actually got to do some things, like a cooking class! These cranberry-instead-of-raisin Irish soda bread scones were really good and I have made them since returning home. I also learned to make hollandaise sauce. I was absolutely horrified that for one serving of the sauce on a pair of eggs benedict, it took a stick and a half of butter (!!!) and three egg yolks. Dad gum it was delicious but I can't ever see another time when consuming that will be justifiable. 

The leaves were already starting to turn when we got back at the end of August. Where we live, the season wound down and closed in mid September. Maybe I should say opened. See it's a private club from mid May to mid September, so now it's just an open neighborhood. 

Freddy has been a delight all year, constantly at my side or in my lap. We call that thing in his mouth his pacifier. He can spend hours with it hanging that way. 

Finally, it was Serge's birthday last week. 59. This was at his mom's house. He has been enjoying spending his birthday money. 

Yes, this is the same session as the holiday card I sent out this year. I didn't order enough cards so I had to cut like 25 people from the list this year. (How can I have a hundred people on my holiday card list?) Hopefully, I will prepare better next year (if I send cards, lol).

Here is wishing everyone a wonderful 2026 filled with family, friends and good times. (And read on if you'd like to read about what we did the first half of the year.)

Milestones

It's been a fun eight months since I last sat down to pen a blog post. If you are on FB, you've probably seen Serge's version of things as he has become the FB poster, and I, the lurker. (The older I get, the more I'm interested in consuming rather than creating, this blog notwithstanding.) The first milestone is the blog, 20 years old! I was turning 40 when I started it. I posted a lot more frequently back then. 

So here what's been up. I went back to Ecuador in January, skipped out to meet up with Serge and a group of campcampers on a Caribbean cruise, and then returned for another month with Serge. Here we are at a great restaurant we discovered called Tartar. When we returned to Ecuador from the cruise, the climate turned cold, cloudy and rainy. We froze and then on the last day when we were packing, we discovered the space heater that came with the apartment (but we didn't know about - DOH!) We are going back this January and renting the same place, so we shant make that error again. 

In March, I went to a concert for the first time in ages (I'm a bit concert averse, the performers never sound as good as their recordings, and even nosebleed seats are costly). Kylie didn't disappoint, however. It's fun hearing songs get popular on the radio that I heard the first time live. 

The snow finally disappeared at the end of April and in May, the place where we live became a private club as it does each summer. I organized a progressive dinner where we had apps at one house, entrees at another, and dessert at a third. There are 3 long term couples in the picture but we are the longest at 32 years. It turns out we are also 20 years married, something not many same-sex couples can say since we married merely weeks after it was legalized in Quebec in 2004. Another milestone. 

We have had a pretty warm summer so far and we spend many afternoons by the lake (a pond really) enjoying the sun, sand, water and music. Those of us who live here refer to it as our little slice of paradise. Every weekend, there are themed parties and dancing til late. I have managed to stay out only once so far this summer (my goal is twice) to dance. 

Of course that was the night they were doing body painting. When we arrived there was hardly anyone there, so we got in line for the body painting. By the time it was our turn, there were over 80 people there. Definitely out of my comfort zone, but I didn't die. 

Then last week I turned 60! Another milestone. We went to the Auberge du Lac Taureau for a couple days. It was in a beautiful location, very remote that was part luxury resort, part adventure camp. Here we are on my birthday evening enjoying the fireplace we rented on the shore of the lake ($49!)

Aside from goofing around at the beach all day, we also did some archery. We wanted to go on the evening lantern led nature walk, but a storm was approaching so they canceled it. What a storm it turned out to be, where the lightning is constant, like a disco strobe at maximum frequency. You know I love a good storm. 

Finally, my goal was to reach my goal weight by my birthday and I did it! Haven't been this weight since I dieted in 2020. A sort-of milestone. This is before the Christmas pajama bingo a couple weeks ago. (I won!) Now, I'm looking forward to eating like a king at campcamp. I'm sure you'll see FB updates from Serge when we go next week. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of the summer!