A Stroke of Luck

Well this is most of my family at my youngest sister Shauna's and her husband Ken's two years ago, before I had this confounded STROKE. If all goes well, my beloved Elisabeth and I just might be hosting our family Christmas this year at our new house. But I don't want to get ahead of myself in hopes. We will see.

This is my youngest sister Shauna and her oldest daughter Rebecca, and I apologize to them both if I have spelled that wrong.

Above is basically the whole group or at least many of them.

Above is a pic of my sister Shauna, her husband Ken and my nephew Josh, Gerry and Kim's son, from nearby Kenora, Ont. Gerry is for all intents and purposes a larger version of me and is my power of attorney.

My other brother, Doug, is older than Gerry but younger than me. He and his 2 daughters and 1 son stayed in Ottawa, where they live.

Gerry and my sister Lisa, along with my Mom, helped significantly in my recovery and still are, a fact for which I will never adequately be able to say thanks. Shauna and Lori have also played significant parts in my recovery.

But I must in all honesty thank Gerry and Lisa the most.

This is my daughter Monica, who will graduate as a nurse this year and whom is going out with a man named Alex whom I have not yet met. Monica and my son Evan, who just graduated from high school, were with me when I had the stroke.

If they hadn't been, I suspect I would have died.


This is again my Mom opening some Xmas gifts while Lisa, Josh, Ken, the great-looking me, Kim and Shauna deride her.

This is my three sisters -- Lisa, Shauna, my niece Rachael and her mother (my oldest sister Lori, left to right) sit and look silly.

This is a pic of my bald spot, I assume taken by my moronic brother Gerry.

A closeup of my sister Lori looking like she wants to kick me in the gonads...

A closeup of my sis Lisa...

My nephew Justin warming his butt near their fireplace...

My nephew Matthew from Kenora...

My daughter Monica's former BF, my daughter Monica, my niece Rebecca, my sister (and her mom) Shauna, and Shauna's oldest son (and Rebecca's brother) Andrew.

Much of the whole group...

Lisa's Hubby Darren and their daughter Maia in the foreground and that looks like my son Evan in the background...

That's Evan in the foreground, Shauna and Ken's Justin in the middle, and Lisa and Darren's son Cole.

That's my dad Don, above. And a pic of the clan opening gifts, below.

Some of the boys, including from left Evan, Justin, Cole (I think) and maybe Josh.

Uncle Ken joins in the fun. I can't tell you who the goalie is. I'm guessing Justin.

Evan with a bird's eye view.

My nephew and among the oldest, Ben.

The whole group, pretty much, at another time: Cole, Evan, me, Lisa, Monica (foreground), my Dad Don, Maia (tree), Lori, Mathew (tree), Josh, my Mom, Justin (in tree), Ben, Shauna, Rebecca, her Dad Ken, Kim, Andrew ( L to R).

Irish Spring...but I like it too!