Merry Christmas 2017 from the Hegels

MERRY CHRISTMAS from the Hegels

Wow! Where did 2017 go? It seems like I blinked, then winter became summer, then I blinked again, and now it’s almost Christmas. Not much has changed in our lives since a year ago, and it occurs to me that I could almost just change the date (and photos) from last year’s Christmas letter and send it out again. But, that would be cheating, so here goes….

Coleen and I are still semi-retired (for lack of a better description). Coleen stays busy keeping our house and acreage looking good, as well as volunteering with the Altar Society, the church choir, and baking and/or cooking for various community events. Coleen continues to clean finished houses for Joseph, as well. She makes regular trips to Regina to spend time with her mom and dad, where daily card games become a marathon activity, from what I understand. We are very blessed to still have Joe and Anne in our lives, when many others of their generation have passed on.  They are planning to spend Christmas with us at our house this year, then travel with us to Edmonton for our nephew’s wedding in January.

I continue to work for Joseph, doing a variety of tasks, most often of the finishing variety. This past month, for example, I have been building stairs, installing deck railings, hanging interior doors, putting up door and window trim, and building a stone fireplace. Not only do I get to do interesting work, but I have the privilege of working with my son (and yes, we get along quite well at work). After 31 years of teaching and school administration, it’s great to let someone else run the show.  

Joseph and Chandler stay very busy with work, and somehow find time to play slow-pitch, volleyball, and to curl. Chandler still drives from Maidstone to North Battleford to work, and Joseph has had several jobs on the go in the Maidstone area, and also as far away as Loon Lake and Saskatoon. His ambition, energy level, and attention to detail make him well-suited to be a general contractor.

Joseph finishing a farm shop near Maidstone, SK

Joseph installing fire brick in a stamped concrete firepit at Loon Lake, SK

Fireplace at a cabin we built at Loon Lake

This major renovation started out as a 1300-square-foot bungalow with the garage on the left (where the living room is now).

Alyssa has been working at the hospital in Maidstone for almost a year, now. When she is on duty, she is  the Charge Nurse, with responsibility for acute care patients, emergencies, and the extended-care wing. This has been great experience for her, and she seems to enjoy her job very much.

Laura is finishing her last year of her Fine Arts degree. She took 3 on-line classes this past summer (while working full-time cutting grass for a local company), so her academic classes are all completed, leaving just studio classes for this school year. Her showcase of her work will be this coming March 19-23 in the Snelgrove Gallery on the U. of S. campus. Her theme (at this point) appears to be prairie landscapes.

Laura and Alyssa making perogies

Our local Legion branch keeps me busy off and on, sharing the job of president with another member. When I get the chance, I still play music regularly for various community and private functions. I was a member of the Manitou 150 committee this past year, my job being to organize and run the entertainment tent for our local Canada Day celebration. I had the task of running audio, and of MC’ing a variety of local entertainers for a full afternoon, followed by performing solo in the beer gardens in the evening. Overall, it was a great day with lots to do, thanks to a large committee of organizers and volunteers.

July 1 Canada 150 celebration --playing at the beer gardens

I am still slowly making progress on my ’48 International project truck. This fall, I robbed some more parts from my backyard collection, and now the truck has bucket seats, a steering column, pedals, and a cab floor custom-built to fit around my one-of-a-kind collection of parts. I also picked up an original truck box and rear fenders in very good condition (only 5 hours away from home!). The Johnny Cash song about building a car “one piece at a time” seems very appropriate for this project.

As usual, we spent as much time as possible outdoors this summer. Coleen and I camped at Loon Lake for a week in June, while I was doing some finishing work on a customer’s cabin, and Coleen did the final cleaning.  We went back to Loon again in early July to camp with our friends the Waldes for a few days, then pulled the trailer east to Madge Lake to celebrate Coleen’s sister Gayleen and brother-in-law Wes’s 30^th anniversary with the extended Lang family. Our final camping trip was to Diefenbaker Lake, where we spent our days hanging out at the beach, and our nights sitting around a propane fire (since fire bans were on for all of central and southern Saskatchewan). In spite of the dry conditions further south, we had rain about once a week at home, and our yard was the greenest it has ever been.

At Loon Lake, SK

Wes and Gayleen's party island on Madge Lake

The piece of natural beach we claimed as our own at Diefenbaker Lake, SK

These girls NEVER have any fun when they're together!

The motorcycle also saw a few miles this summer, mostly in August and September. Brother-in-law James and I took a 4-day round trip to Castlegar, BC and back in late August, then Coleen and I biked to Regina for the annual Labour Day Lang family gathering, then headed west for a 2-week round trip to Vancouver Island and back. We almost turned back at Creston due to the thick smoke, but carried on and were able to breathe clean air again once we took the ferry across to Sidney. After that, the weather changed, and we had clear, sunny weather almost all the way home. We didn’t visit near as many people as our last trip out, but spent a bit more time with my Aunty Flo and Uncle Brian at Sidney, and with Coleen’s Aunt Katherine in Kelowna. Our last 2 days on the road from Salmon Arm to home were very cold, and reminded us that bike trips in September can be a gamble when it comes to the weather. Fortunately, we made it home safe and sound, and with all of our body parts intact and nothing frozen off.

Near Pincher Creek, AB in late August

On the ferry to Vancouver Island

Aunty Flo and I

Going out for fish and chips with Aunty Flo and Uncle Brian at Sidney, BC

Coming down from the pass between Merritt and Kelowna, BC

Coleen and Aunt Katherine

At the Grey Monk Winery near Vernon, BC

Well, that’s about all the news from the Hegels. I am thankful every day for the family and friends God has given me, yet I still always seem to find time to feel sorry for myself around Christmas when I miss those who have passed on. My advice (for what it’s worth) to everyone is to never take the people in your life for granted.  Spend as much time as you can with those you care about, because you never get that time back once it’s gone.  Merry Christmas to all our family and friends, and may God bless you in abundance in 2018!

Love, Glenn and Coleen