2003 January 1 / Home Page Winter Scene Nice work Dick! Best wishes to all in this New Year. For everyone, peace, happiness, fullfilment, good health, and for those not yet off their rims, may you look forward to a long and busy retirement. Here in Summerland we are enjoying an extremely mild winter so far. Next week Marion and I will be getting back to winter sport of curling after a two week rest. Hope it helps me lose the holiday weight gain. Gregg, # 2 son, was here for 11 days and we sent him back to BCIT to finish his course. Question: does anyone out there know much about cleaning up old vinyl recordings? I have tried a couple of applications and have had some success with "acoustica" and "MAGIX audio cleaning lab 3" the latter, on a recommend from Don Ingham, seems the better of the two. Ideas please if you have some or if you know of anyone using same. Cheers! Dick dickandmarion@telus.net Winterland.....NOT (aka Summerland) January 9 / Free Stuff Now that most of us have reached 60 I thought I should remind everyone not to forget the benefits. My bank gives free service charges and cheques to 60 and over. After I had signed up I mentioned to my 62 year old sister how great it was to save on bank charges and discovered she didnt know about it so I thought I'd mention it. Plus there are lots of other discounts if you ask. Happy New year to all. (I really did turn into a penny saving accountant) Judy Judith Anderson / judithlowe@lycos.com January 10 / Happy New Year Best of 2003 to you all. We had an excellent Christmas at our house, and welcomed in the new year in style. AS I'm really into art, I couldn't resist telling you about the new show in the Longhouse in Tsawwassen — fine art with 156 paintings. It's on during January and February, so pay it a visit on your way to Victoria. Open Thursday to Sunday 11 - 3. The building is kitty-corner to McDonalds. Laurel laurelj@aebc.com January 18 / New Photos Gail Tippett Schofield kindly sent a CD with the pictures they took at our June birthday event. They are now installed on our birthday web site on page 17. http://www.shuswap.net/goodall/birthday.htm Best wishes to one and all for 2003 Richard goodallr@sunwave.net January 18 / Health Care Costs My husband discovered that we were both paying medical premiums -- through my pension and through his office. While she was checking my file, the clerk told me that my son and his wife were also double paying.-- She's a nurse. It is worth checking into, because the medical won't tell you if you are. Phone and check and you may save some $$$. Judy's timely note reminded me that others may be assisting the public parasites in ways we don't expect. Laurel Laurel Page Johnson / laurelj@aebc.com January 21 / Day after Martin Luther King Day Hi all. Hope this is a good year for everyone. Wondering how the idea of another 60th birthday party "grabs" you all, this summer. As you know several of us are not yet 60. We would like to have another party this year and invite everyone along. Craig Mearnes says his place is available. We thought a very simple menu this time - salmon, salads, etc. and just chill out. What do you think? Possibly July? Lianne Lianne Hunter / lhunter@islandnet.com January 24 / Party!! I would love to see everyone again! Just give me a date and I'll be there. Generally, I don't plan to be in Victoria as much as last year (I made 8 trips!). My darling mother, Vi, died Jan.2nd. Dad seems pretty settled in his care facility, and all the details of last year are taken care of. However, will make a spring and summer trip, and begin to plan my return in 2004!! Sandy Halkett showed up at my mother's Memorial Service! I am sure some of you remember her. She brought lots of pictures her dad, Bill, a professional photographer, took during our early childhood as we were next door neighbors. Ladies, lots of you show up in Sandy's birthday party pictures! Joyce, I believe you are in every one of them! Love to every one of you, diane diane (wilson) / ddyer2001@attbi.com January 28 / Another Party!! Hi Lianne and the committee... Like the idea of another party. Just want to say that some of us from afar may be planning to be in Victoria again for the special UVIC convocation celebrating 100 years of the college/uni - and 40 years since it got its degree-granting status. The date for that is Friday, June 6, as I understand - there may also be a luncheon on Saturday, June 7. Maybe the party could be later that day, or on the Sunday. I hope to make it, and I know John Youson said last year that he hoped to attend, too. There may be others. What do you think of that weekend? And just to report on the horrendous bushfires here in Canberra which you have probably seen on TV - and thanks for the notes from some of you - some 530 houses were razed and four people died. It's still very hot here and windy and smoky...and fires in the farm areas around Canberra and into the state of Victoria. What with that and our PM leading Australia, with Bush and Blair, into war, things are pretty stressful here. Let's all work and pray for peace! All the best for 2003. Sandy (and Rob) Forbes redoak@austarmetro.com.au / Canberra