To say I had a wonderful weekend is such an understatement. It was so heart warming for me to have family fly in from other provinces or drive hundreds of miles just to come for a visit. Such a wonderful time it was. Aunt Isabel and cousin Shirley are still here but will be leaving this afternoon. As more time is passing the farewells are becoming a little more touching, more emotional as in the back of the mind there is always the lingering thought, this could be our last visit. But then, I think Nah, only the good die young, I am likely to be here forever.
Cousins Gloria and Sherry flew out last evening, returning to Calgary. Spoke to Gloria this morning on the phone, and I am pleased to hear they were met at the airport with flowers. Here on the blog they have been elevated to the status of Queens, so it is only filling their arrival home was duely noted with flowers.
It really is so nice to have more and more family visiting. I appreciate and enjoy every minute. We joke, we reminisce and have just a great time. I am such a lucky man. I am luck and I know it.
I will write more about the weekend in the next few days and more about my cousins. I have always know they to be wonderful, but this weekend I learned so much more. I have so much more to brag about. Example, cousin Gloria being recognized by the City of Calgary for being an Angel. This is something I have always known but it is nice to hear others have finally realized it also.
I will write more later, right now Aunt Isabel is waiting to take me on in cribbage. Now this is a serious, heavy duty game as we ARE playing for the championship of the world.
Robin Wilson, in reply to your comment posted under “about”. Please do feel free to quote anything you may wish from the blog. If you feel it will in any way help or benefit you nursing class, I would be honored to have you quote me.
It is now 3:00pm and I am adding an update to my earlier message. Cousin Aunt Isabel, cousin Carol and hubby Garry, have just left beginning the long drive back to Swan River. We will miss them all. Aunt Isabel is taking with her the title of undisputed Champion of the World, having won our 2 player cribbage tournament. It started as a single game for the title. I soon found myself whining to make it 2 out of 3 as it was for the championship of the World. I quickly realized it should be 3 out of 5 all to no avail as she won that also. So the title has moved to Swan River, woe is me. Well actually I suppose it is back to Swan River as she seems to have won it the last time also. Aunt Isabel I had a great time, but I will get you next time
Dying mans daily journal 
Bill, I’m so glad you are having such an enjoyable time with your family. Thanks for sharing with us (and for letting them to hog the blog. ;)).
Take care!
I’m glad to hear you had a nice visit with your family.
Good luck with the cribbage game, Bill! 🙂
~Kelsey
Sounds like you had a truly great time with your family Bill, good for you and good for them too!
Well, its becoming a bit obvious you need to sharpen your cribbage skills and get the crown back! 🙂
Whats cribbage? 😆 Maybe I’m far too young to know…
Bill,
OM has moved to:
http://omsoti.wordpress.com/
sorry about that!
It’s nice to hear from you again!
Sarah.
It’s those 21 hands that probably did it, huh?
Didn’t you send her for coffee and move the pegs? (can you tell the only way *I* win is if I send himself to get coffee? LOL)
Congratulations to the World Champion!
And congratulations to the Second place winner.
See–even when you lose, you still win.
Betcha the house is feeling real quiet about now………
Isn’t it great to have lots of family? You are SO blessed!
You’re an inspiration, and lots of fun to read.
I guess you can say that we’re all dying; just some people have a better grasp on the when and how. And learning to do it well is something we all aspire to perhaps.
Keep up the good work.
Before I got sober I was in horrible place in my heart and head. I wrote to you about the things that were going on. Your journal is so inspirational and hearfelt(is that really a word). I needed to hear what you had to say. It was healing balm on my soul. You said good things to me. I needed that so very bad and you should know that you help people(me) in a wonderful way. I haven’t visited your site in a few months,but I just wanted to say that I am releived that there are truly good souls on this world and you are one of them. Thanks
Hi Bill, this is Jillian (Shirley’s youngest)
I would like to thank you for giving my mother a wonderful vacation. It sounds as if you and Vi are wonderful hosts. I know that my mom would do it again in a heart-beat if she could. Your home sounds like such a welcoming home. I hope that you enjoyed remembering most of your guy’s memories as much as she did. Somehow everything she says relates back to when she was in Winnipeg, which means that she had a wonderful time! It looks as if you had a lot of pictures taken, and everyone looks very good in all of them. Thank-you for treating her as a queen because we don’t do that often enough to her, besides if shes a queen then that means my sisters and I are princesses or so we like to believe some days!
I would love to meet you in person one day but for now I enjoy reading your blog comments. You have a very positive outlook on life.
Thanks again
Jill
Hi Jill, it is really nice to hear from you. It was absolutely our pleasure to have your mother, aunts and grandmother here for a visit. You must be very proud of your mother, she really is a wonderful lady.
Your mother very proudly showed us pictures of you all and brought us up to date on what is happening in your lives.
Your mother very obviously is a Queen and deserves to be treated as such. I do agree that through natural progression that would make you and your sisters Princesses. I hope through out your life you are always treated as such.
I feel bad that I have allowed so much time to pass, in which I really lost contact with you all. I realize there is a whole generation of Howdles out there that I don’t know. One of my regrets and mistakes in life. Consider this to be a personal invitation to Princess Jillian and the whole clan out there to come for a visit any time.
Bill