Weeks go by

 In July I joined the Welland Rotary Club again after being a member of the Markham Rotary Club during the past four years. The Welland Rotary Club was founded 100 years ago....

Mark cycled about 650 kilometers with a friend from Toronto to a cottage near Timmins. He said he would cycle on even level forever, but the hills were killers.....

Former colleague at Niagara College, Kyla, acquired a nice sailing boat and today I assisted with figuring out the mounting of the sails. Too much wind to go out on Lake Erie today, but we'll do that on a future occasion. Kyla learned to sail last year and is always looking for a sailing companion. She has her boat in the harbor of Port Colborne....

A new project

 Recently I have started to think about writing a book. Possibly a novel based on real life people and experiences. I will start this project with a former IYIP intern who was in South Africa for six months about ten years (IYIP = International Youth Internship Program). Jason has afterwards always contacted me once a year for a meal to catch up. We met again last week in Fonthill.

We brainstormed about the initial ideas. It will likely take us a few years to come up with the storyline, the characters and other details. Do required research on facts and then go through the sometimes lengthy editing process. But it will be worth the try and fun to work on.

Hilary and Mark

Hilary and Shayd moved into a new rental apartment in Vancouver last week. After having her accommodation paid for a while by the contract company she worked for in BC, that ended once she started a FT contract at one of the hospitals in North Vancouver. Hilary then moved in with Shayd for a while in a shared house with several other "Kiwis". Now they have a place of their own....

Mark and Carly enjoyed a week in two different cottages, first with friends and then with the "Sarnia Vandenboom gang". Mary, Susan, Fiona, Ralph and I decided not go this summer because of the risks with the pandemic. In two weeks time Mark is going to make a cycling trip all the way to Timmins.

Just a few pics

Living the good life.....; plus Mary's new haircut after months of "neglect" during pandemic...

Flashback

Mark about 15-16 years back - always enjoying his Dad bringing soccer shirts to wear.....

Mark 26

Tonight we celebrated Mark's 26th birthday. Carly spoiled him with an Apple watch and we bought him some shirts, shorts & gear for his cycling venture to Timmins in August. We are starting to make the dinner together in this place on the beach near Hamilton an annual event (2nd time now...).

Mary and I arrived early to get our names on the waiting list and then we went for a walk along the beach where there was a reasonable amount of people on a July Wednesday evening (all decently socially distanced). Then a Corona during the wait for the table, Carly and Mark....

Birthdays

Susan (sister-in-law) has her 60th birthday today. Mary had some happy balloons delivered plus an amazingly beautiful cake. Mark will have his birthday next week (July 15) and partied yesterday with two friends from university who also have their birthdays this month...

And Opa Vandenboom is enjoying the beautiful summer days in the shade outside of his retirement home with others living there. Mary stops by every day (as does Susan) and I pass by regularly during my walks. We need to "keep the distance" during the ongoing pandemic, but so far so good.