Paul Alton MBA

Lifelong Learning, Living and Loving

Home

Dukan Diet

Ad Copy

Articles

Thinking Ahead

Decisions

LongestDay

A Day

Jail Mindset

Dan Alton's Memoirs

DR Mission Trip

David Allen

Automation

Two Businesses

Winter Vacation

Tales of Buddy

Pirogue 2014

Killer Grid Heater Bolt

Video Doorbell

Travel

Copper Canyon 2010

Ireland 2011

August 1_2011 Photos

August 2_2011 Photos

August 3_2011 Photos

August 4_2011 Photos

August 5_2011 Photos

August 6_2011 Photos

August 7_2011 Photos

August 8_2011 Photos

August 9_2011 Photos

August 10 _2011 Photos

Ometepe Monastery

Somoto Canyon 2014

Reports

Heat Duct

Books

Updates

April 2025

March 2025

February 2025

January 2025

December 2024

November 2024

October 2024

September 2024

August 2024

July 2024

June 2024

May 2024

April 2024

March 2024

February 2024

January 2024

December 2023

November 2023

October 2023

September 2023

August 2023

July 2023

June 2023

May 2023

April 2023

March 2023

February 2023

January 2023

December 2022

November 2022

October 2022

September 2022

August 2022

July 2022

May June 2022

April 2022

March 2022

February 2022

January 2022

2021Review

December 2021

November 2021

October 2021

September 2021

August 2021

July 2021

June 2021

May 2021

April 2021

March 2021

February 2021

January 2021

December 2020

November 2020

October 2020

September 2020

August 2020

July 2020

June 2020

May 2020

April 2020

Covid Spring

March 2020

February 2020

January 2020

December 2019

November 2019

October 2019

September 2019

August 2019

July 2019

June 2019

May 2019

April 2019

March 2019

February 2019

January 2019

December 2018

November 2018

October 2018

Peru Part 2

September 2018

SpringSummer2018

February 2018

January 2018

December 2017

November 2017

Fall 2017

August 2017

July 2017

June 2017

May 2017

April 2017

March 2017

February 2017

January 2017

December 2016

November 2016

October 2016

September 2016

August 2016

July 2016

June 2016

May 2016

March April 2016

February 2016

January 2016

D and E House 2015

December 2015

Fall 2015

Bill China

CarolynChina

September 2015

Summer 2015

April 2015

March 2015

February 2015

January 2015

December 2014

November 2014

Going South 2014

summer 2014

Spring 2014

March 2014

February 2014

January 2014

December 2013

November 2013

SeptemberOctober 2013

August 2013

July 2013

June 2013

May 2013

April 2013

March 2013

February 2013

January 2013

December 2012

November 2012

October 2012

September 2012

August 2012

July 2012

June 2012

May 2012

April 2012

March 2012

February 2012

January 2012

December 2011

November 2011

September - October 2011

July - August 2011

April - June 2011

March 2011

February 2011

January 2011

December 2010

November 2010

October 2010

September 2010

Shop/Studio 2010

August 2010

July 2010

June 2010

April - May 2010

March 2010

February 2010

January 2010

December 2009

November 2009

October 2009

Going South 2009

September 2009

Shop/Studio 2009

July - August 2009

June 2009

May 2009

April 2009

March 2009

February 2009

Nicaragua Trip

January 2009

Big Feed 2008

December 2008

November 2008

October 2008

Balloon Ride

August - September 2008

Studio / Shop 2008

June - July 2008

April - May 2008

March 2008

February 2008

Jan-Feb 08 Transition

January 2008

Big Feed 2007

December 2007

November 2007

Sept/Oct 2007

Summer 2007

Spring 2007

February 2007

January 2007

2006 Updates

CanMexCan V

CanMexCan_IV

CanMexCan_III

CanMexCan_II

CanMexCan_I

 
December 2018 Update

Annual Newsletter

Just below is the text of the self-centered annual Christmas e-letter I sent out. It mentions some of the things we did along with links to more details. 

It lists only a couple of the things we didn't do. That list is really long and, as is to be expected I forgot a few of the highlights of the undone such as lost weight, cured the common cold or followed through on New Year's resolutions. 

Well, recycling is popular right now, isn't it? Why not recylce one's resolutions? There may come a day when the motivation and will power are there. 

There will come a day when they don't matter and fall off the end of lists of good intentions. At the risk of sounding nihilistic most of them probably never did matter.

Merry Christmas,

We wish you a Merry Christmas. We hope you are all well. We are.

Nobody in our immediate family cured cancer or imposed world peace this year, but here are a few highlights from our year:

January – We flew to Nicaragua and did tourist things and language school and helped a bit with a medical outreach. Our Granddaughter, Sonja, joined us for the outreach.

February – Still in Nicaragua relaxing and travelling the country.

March – We were in Meadow Lake for a while and then went to Regina for pre-turnaround safety training for the annual refinery maintenance turnaround.

April – Paul worked at the refinery and Juanita volunteered at a Thrift Mission in Regina.

May – Paul went to physiotherapy in Regina for a torn hamstring unrelated to the refinery work. We both went to Nebraska for a few days to visit friends. Then it was back to Meadow Lake and out to BC for Paul’s sister’s 80th birthday (She is MUCH older than me) and a few days in Powell River.

June through August – Just puttering around home south of Meadow Lake with a few trips to Edmonton in there.

September – We went to Peru for a couple of weeks and visited Machu Pichu, Lake Titicaca and a few other notable sights.

October – We drove south to Texas to huddle up against the Mexican border for warmth and to help with a SOWER project through November and December until the end of January.

Again, Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year


December SOWER Project

Image: 

We carried on with floor repairs in the training center kitchen. Juanita worked along side me for that. Once the sub-floor was repaired a bunch of us piled on and installed interlocking plastic tile that had been recovered from a local basketball court. They go in quickly.

Then we all worked to re-install everything that came our of the kitchen: the prep island, the buffet line, shelving, stove, convection oven and refrigerators. I wandered across the hall to direct and participate in installing tile in the dorm room. Juanita stayed in the kitchen to help clean and organize it. There were  a couple of holes in the dorm floor from the leveling that had been done. We cut the tiles but set them aside until I had repaired the holes. Meanwhile the young, strong, staff members brought in all the bunk beds and reassembled them.

We stayed busy to the official end of the December SOWER project and then intermittently after that to help prepare for Big Feed coming up between Christmas and New Year.


Hidalgo Festival of Lights

Image: 

The city of Hidalgo, about fifty miles up the Rio Grande Valley from us and right on the border with Mexico holds an annual Christmas light festival. They have a fleet of trolleys to take people around town to view the spectacular lighting displays. A number of times we have met up with other SOWERS in the valley and had the roast beef dinner and trolley package and then watched the concert.

This year the SOA couple and ourselves decided we could skip the trolley and the dinner and just go to watch the students from San Luis Potosi perform.

The weather was good and the kids did okay, but maybe our memory of the efforts of the students of previous years has improved with time. It did seem the group lacked the sparkle and crispness of past years. Maybe it was us, but we all formed similar opinions independently.

I would go again if somebody else wanted to.


Christmas Tree Extravaganza and Exihibit

Image: 

One afternoon I said I wanted to go to the Harlingen Art Museum and see the decorated Christmas trees. Juanita said she would sit in the truck and read. Through whining, guilting and other time-honoured persuasion techniques I convinced her to at least go to the entrance and see if there was a fee. 

There wasn’t. 

I think she enjoyed the various uniquely decorated trees even more than I did. It took about fifteen minutes to see them all without rushing.

As we walked back to the truck she said, “that was nice. I had envisioned two hours when you said ‘museum’.“


Christmas Concert

Image: 

The kids in the congregation of the Way of the Cross chapel held a Christmas play on the Sunday before Christmas.

I don’t know which I enjoy more: the little kids or the looks on the Mom’s and Grandmom’s of the little kids.


Traditions

Image: 

Everybody has Christmas traditions. Being away at Christmas and just the two of us we have formed a mini tradition for when we are in the Rio Grande Valley. We go to Furr’s Buffet in McAllen. It opens at eleven. We got there about noon. The line was to the corner of the building and stayed that way until at least until we had finished our meals. The early birds say that the line is around the building just before the buffet opens its doors.

A thoughtful Popeye’s franchise in a Pennsylvania airport did its best to help travellers during the Christmas season. They sold a box of emotional support chicken for people to carry on to their flights. Even though we didn’t travel at Christmas (other than to McAllen) I sure appreciate their gesture. Especially since it seemed to annoy those houmourless scolds in PETA.  


<< Previous   Next >>

Copyright Paul W. Alton 2006 through 2025 All Rights Reserved
Pages on this site contain Amazon affiliate links
Amazon sells everything from soup to drones.
   Amazon Link 
As an Amazon Associate i earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.