THE GILL NET LODGE
FEBRUARY / MARCH, 2002

This Page Features Notes From
DESCENDANTS OF SAMUEL AND LILLIAN KINGSTON
(And Guests)

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Click here to send us some photo's from your family and we'll post them!

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HAPPY NEW YEAR!   Last year gave us a beautiful, and very HAPPY grandaughter, Sarah.  We are all in good health. Love Aunt Patty.

Hi all:
John, that is a wonderful rendition of Auld Lang Syne....thanks for making it accessible...hope everyone has a great 2002!
Love to all,
Brenda

Wishes for a vibrant challenging 2002 goes out to all.  My goals this year are to continue to share time with my friends, enjoying conversations with them over coffee, drinks, music, and dinners. Discussing a variety of topics to tease and challenge the mind.  Giggles are definitely necessary.  Lurkers please post once in awhile, we need your contributions.

AM

Sam and Lillian's latest descendant, John Henry Blair, son of Mark and Jennifer Kingston with proud grandparents Aloysius and Eleanor.

If there ever was a fine lookin' lad, one only must look upon the face of John Henry Blair!  Jimmy

Oh my.  Jimmy, I have to agree with you...Mr. John Henry Blair is one very handsome little guy! Congrats to parents and grandparents!

Also, thanks for giving Tom Kingston a good kick in the arse.  It's so sad to realize that he has become a hopeless "drop-byer".  That's almost worse than being a lurker.  Lurkers are at least present on a consistent basis but simply don't post for whatever reason.  A "drop-byer" is just a frivilous gad-about who flits around where and when he pleases.  Appalling.  However, I was very impressed at how he and some of the other Kingstons are managing to improve the salmon species in those parts with their selective fishing regimine.  It's based on good, solid Catholic principles and I'm all for it.  Great conservation management program, guys!

I'm just now downloading some Christmas pics.  I hope I got some good ones of little Joe (George and Nancy's young pip).  I'll try to post some in a bit.
Mary W.

Hello!

A good Sunday morning to all.  The New York City area is digging out from our first real snowfall of the season - just in front shovelling a path out to my truck!

Mary W. your photo's are great.  Nice to see Kingston grandchildren going through the Kingston tradition of being able to swig back a little cognac before age two! :)

I heard Uncle Don is in the hospital and hope he is doing well.  I hear Uncle Billy is home from the hospital and hope he is doing well too.

Have to attend a conference in Orlando in early March and that gives me the excuse of visiting the folks for a few days - I hear Florida is actually warm again after freezing my butt down there at Christmas.

My investigations inform me the home of the REAL JIMMY is somewhere in Canada's maritime provinces.

John V

John, why were Billy and Don in the hospital??? Are they okay now?

Yes, little Joe sure is learning how to handle his liquor.  He'll be able to keep up with Jimmy in a year or two. :-)

Mary W.

Hi all
Just to let you know that Dad is doing fine...he is on oxygen but mostly at night I think.  He saw a specialist, Dr Khattar, on Tuesday, and my understanding is that he recommended he try it for 10 out of 24 hours or while he is sleeping.  I think, Mary, he probably has something similar to your Mom....it is a combination of a whole bunch of things probably - genetics, smoking until he was 50 or so, etc, etc.  Anyhow, he is enjoying his renewed freedom since seeing the specialist.  Was ploughing the driveway with the skidder Wednesday so that's it for now.  Thanks for your interest and concern.        I am not sure about Don at this point...I know that Carmel has been great to call Mom while Dad was in the hospital, as was Monica, Bernadette and all.  I know that Don has had his share of ups and downs healthwise for some time.

Love to all,
Brenda

Hi
Would you believe it was +9c yesterday and now -27c with windchill into the mid 30's.  Snow falling and covering Calgary in about 5 inches of blowing snow.  Hard to adjust to the change.  Buddy , my dog is very confused and will only venture out of the door about a foot and quickly return.

Sitting here listening to music and glad the roof doesn't leak and the windows keep out the howling winds enjoying life.

I'm reading the Ethical Canary by Margaret Sommerville.  It is a challenging read exploring medical advancements and how do we draw the line.  What are society ethics in this day and age?  Do we have common ethical values anymore?

Anyway, this is too weighty a subject for 11pm on a Friday night.

Love to you all,

AM

>I think, Mary, he probably has something similar to your Mom....it is a combination of a whole bunch of things probably - genetics, smoking until he was 50 or so, etc, etc.<

DAMN!!!!!  I am so sorry to hear this.  Brenda, thanks for letting me know.  It sure sounds like he's still active so hopefully he'll have many more comfortable years.  Please give him my love.  Uncle Billy is just...what can I say...he's one very special person.  Hoping that Uncle Don is doing better as well. Take care of yourselves everyone!  Cherish your health!

Mary W.

Hi all,

Anne-Marie you are continuing the next generation of Kingston philosopers.  Some of my great memories as a teenager are being in the back grounds as my aunts and uncles debate the more weighty issues of humankind (usually after a few shots of whiskey!)

I have been taking a more leisurely path.  Yesterday I was in one of my "purple funks" so I spent my lunch hour surfing the net for gardening plans.  I found a great site which is like paint by number gardening.  I can see the possibilities for my yard!   Take Care everyone....ME

A whole new month.   Feb. Birthday's - Barry Leslie KINGSTON, on the 15th, AGE 52? On the 28th,
John Francis Vickers age 42 please add to.  I hope Billy and Don are feeling better.  Love Patty.

I think Patricia's birthday is the same day as John Vickers and Suzanne's little lad has a birthday this month as well.  I can't remember for sure, but I think Patricia's baby has a birthday this month as well (?).  Loads of birthdays this month!

Hello All,

Every once and a while I feel like a Sunday morning contribution to the Gill Net Lodge.

We are having one of the mildest winters on record here - we have received one snow fall (about 4" or so) a few weeks back that has been the extent of it.  The lake I live on is not frozen over for the first time in 14 years. Most days are anywhere from 40 - 55 degrees F*.  Can't complain about that other than the news is saying we may be in for abit of a water shortage resulting from such a lack of precipitation.

My friends in Victoria use to chuckle at the pre-ponderence of discussions about the weather when I use to phone back east to the Miramichi.  How's the weather?  Any sign of rain?  I heard a big nor-easter blew in.  The snow is blowing so hard you can hardly see the dairy from out the front window! I remember grandmother's reflections about frost having arrived as she knit mittens on her rocking chair at the kitchen stove.

I use to say it is from having family histories of working in the woods, the fields, in a region where the weather was often very rugged and weather talk played a role with existence.

Dear Grandmother - "See you in the morning Grandmother" we would sing out as she stopped to say good-night as she made her way out of the kitchen - "God Willing" would be her response before slowly making her way upstairs.

John V

Hi,
Canada received a Gold Medal in the demo sport of BRIDGE.  This was a clear win for a team that was expected to to be 8th out of 8 teams.  I know 3 of the team members and have played against them in tournaments.  I am extremely proud of them despite all the ribbing I get.  Bridge is a wonderful game and I enjoy playing.

The pair figure skating decisions and discussion is driving me insane.  There is very little acknowledgement of the Russian skaters, who won the the gold.  It seems to me we are whining and setting up a poor role model to kids.  A referee in hockey sometimes makes a bad call and the team continues and discussion is over in a day.

Yes , there may be problems with judging and these must be addressed.  The coverage must be difficult for the Russians and very hurtful to them.  They can not enjoy their medal.

Enough for my soapbox.  GOLD for Bridge is awesome.

Anne Marie

John,

John, what you say is true - "It wasn't the Russian skaters' fault".  However, it is also true that had the french judged not "cheated", Sale and Pelletier would have won the gold outright.  There is a world of difference between "cheating", and an "error in judgement".  Notwithstanding, having already awarded the gold medal to the Russian skaters, the IOC was wise to issue another gold medal, rather than demand the return of the gold medal from the Russian pair.  To say they are both "deserving of the gold medal", I don't agree.  Only one pair is "deserving of the gold medal"... the other pair gets to keep it, on a technicality only.

John, you have to listen to Rex's sermon again :-)

P.S. Tom - Cathay Pacifics' Vancouver / New York deal is still on for $295 return.  See you midnight Thursday on the west coast! ....:)

Feb 28th. A BIG HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY John V. & Patricia.  Love from Aunt Patty.

New month - March, whose birthdays?  ME March 11th - a BIG number 60.  How about that !!!!
Love Patty.

I don't believe for a moment that you are 60, Aunt Patty!!!  And John, celebrating winning gold with Tom K probably just got the best of you....hence the flu, etc.  I was driving back from NB and listening to it on CBC Radio....lovely win as was the women's game which I actually saw on TV. Both were a thrill...it's amazing what brings a country together and it's nice that what does it for Canadians is a round piece of rubber, a piece of frozen water and grown boys with sticks.  I thought of Peter Gzowski after we won the gold....he would have been dancing and I am sure he was.....in heaven.....he was such a big Gretzky fan and loved the old Edmonton Oilers under Sather.
Take care all....spring is in the air...it's a glorious day here in N.S.
Cheers,
Brenda

I was informed this evening that Uncle Don Leslie passed away this morning peacefully in his sleep.  Condolences to Aunt Carmel and the Leslie family at this sad time.  JV

Good man John V.  It would be great to be able to be with Carmel and family since not all prayers and thoughts are with them, from us Love Patty.

Hi all,

I have been thinking about my memories of Uncle Don since I heard of his death.  I had the opportunity to get to know him when he was working on Dad's accounting books and I was suppy teaching when I first got out of university.  He had such pride and love for his children.  I found that I got to know my Leslie cousins-- as well as Uncle Don-- better through these conversations we had over the lunch breaks.  I also remember that he spoke with such passion about the things that were important to him.  We didn't always agree, but I learned to look at things from anotehr point of view.

I add my sympathies to the others for Aunt Carmel, Ann, Mary, Robert, and Barbara as well as to the grandchildren....ME

Carmel has wonderful children....no doubt because Carmel is such a wonderful mother and grandmother!  A special lady surpassed by none!  They will help her and continue to be a great comfort to her through the days and nights ahead, just as they have in the past.  God bless you and be with you...Carmel, Mary, Ann, Barbara, Robert and your families...we will all be thinking about you and saying a prayer!
Love,
Brenda