Schroeder Newsletter: 2008

Well hello everyone!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the SNL this year, and those that didn't, sleep with one eye open! The Editor and Chief does not take this lightly. Three strikes and you are out. But, I will accept cheques,money orders or Pay Pal if you feel the need to bribe me next year.

I scanned over 50 some pictures for this year's edition, maybe more, I didn't count. Click on the picture of our parents on the left, and it will take you to a site where I keep my pictures. On top you will see "Slideshow"...just click on that and you will be able to see the pictures..in no particular order. You can slow it down, stop, or increase the speed they are moving with the arrows.

You might have to wait a bit for it to load because there are so many pictures. You may see an X in the middle of the picture on the sidebar, which means it is still loading. But if you click on the X you can still get in. I hope that isn't too confusing. But it's a lot of pictures.

Also there is a link to all the old SNL Newsletter Achieves in the side bar of the blog.

I hope you enjoy it. I had a blast doing it. A few pictures are missing from the slide show that I found later. I will include them on the sidebar under Grandma & Grandpa's picture. So, if you don't see a picture of one your parents, kids, grandchildren or your dog, either I don't have one or I forgot. (disclaimer) I had Uncle Jake's pics in another file and I forgot to put them in the slideshow so they are now on the sidebar.

INSTRUCTIONS ARE OVER:

Pitter Patter, let's get atter...

LINDA & RON

Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa Schroeders

Ah yes those were the days! I don't know if I remember one particular Christmas, at my advanced age they blur together. What I think is interesting is what I don't remember and that is anything about gifts, and yet look how much time and money the adults must have spent on them. What I do remember is playing with my cousins, who were also my best friends growing up. I remember those Christmas pageants, and how we paraded out as the wise men with towels on our heads and Mary, Joseph and of course baby Jesus, with whomever was the youngest at the time. We also sang Christmas carols, and I tried to sing Oh Tannenbaum, even though I knew no German.

I don't know if it was at Christmas, but I remember dressing up in Auntie Pat's wedding dress quite often.

There were also the New Year's parades with all the pots and pans clanking, and then a request for money from the parents and grandparents. (We had that idea from the New Year's men that went around in Altona, I think.)

I do remember one Christmas waiting for Kehler's to arrive from Altona, and how the time seemed to go by so slowly. I spent all the time looking out the window, trying to make them appear.

The Christmas that I was 12 or 13 I think, Auntie Pat and Uncle Jake lived next to Grandma's. The older girls got to go over to their place and watch T.V. and we watched The Christmas Carol with Alistair Syms as Scrooge.I have this memory of Joan and Frances and I wearing some kind of plaid jumpers, and they were all the same. I thought we looked so cool. Yes those were the days.

Editors note: They were called dusters. I don't know why we liked them, they looked like something between a housedress ( as they were called) and a nightgown. It didn't matter, they looked good with our velvet headbands. And yes, we were so very cool.

Life Today

We have had a busy year, with lots of travelling. We made our first ever trip to Europe, to Italy and England. We didn't see the birthplaces of either of our grandparents though. We also spent November down in Arizona, and had a short visit with Tony and Bonnie, and Jody, Ken and family when they were down there. We made 4 trips to see Glen's family in Slave Lake and Edmonton. We also visited Ron's dad who is still doing fairly well at 87 years old and living in the United Mennonite Nursing home in Grimsby Ontario.

Life here on the coast has been good, we have made lots of new friends and are able to be physically active year round. We have a big yard and have done lots of work on it. We both love gardening, and are in the middle of a big landscaping project that keeps us out of mischief. We both do quite a bit of golfing, too.

This past year Ron has had some awesome fishing trips, and on one of them, off the west coast of the island, he caught a 45 pound spring salmon or Tyee. We now have a freezer full of fish fillets.

The hard part about being here is that I feel disconnected from all of you. With Melissa's new baby, Maeghan engaged, Jody's kids growing up fast, I am missing out on being part of all the celebrations.

Our best wishes to all of you for a great 2008, and if anyone wants to come out for a visit and help us eat some of this salmon, we'd love to see you.

Jody, Paige and I when they came for a visit last April.

Ron and I in Lake Maggiore Italy.

Ron with his 45 lb salmon

TONY & BONNIE

I can't remember yesterday but those memories of 50-55 years ago are special ......yes Garry and I are turning 60 this summer.....I guess my best memories are all tied to those get togethers at grandma and grandpa's.....Garry and I were always more than cousins, we were best friends. I always stood at the window on Alfred avenue and waited for the Kehlers to arrive because it was no fun till Garry got there. Then we ruled the rest of the pack of boys.......we tickled Timmy till he cried......did things in the bathroom (all 5 of us that will go to our grave with us) unless that squealer Timmy tells on us. Some of the BIG highlights would be Frances breaking her nose, me fainting in the bathroom, the BIG bingo game with real money, the Christmas pagent (Garry and I sang jingle bells every year) then the cash came as we banged pots and pans and collected the loot. I remember people hiding beer in the toilet box and arguing because it went missing ( Garry would do anything I told him to) I remember the biggest Christmas tree in the world, the best Chicken noodle soup and veranika (no spell check).

I've never heard of a family as tight as we were.......Parties in Altona and fishing on the red were huge.......do you remember the dad's wrestling? on the river bank...my dad catching an eel and tried to collect on the bet (fish had to be eatable) and he was willing to eat it. It probably would have been the first bet he won at fishing. I'm drifting but Dad and I had some great trips fishing at Duck mountains, Minaki, and Lake of the woods......if I was home I could send some pics of his proud catches of rainbow trout and walleye. He always talked about our trip to Minaki where we shot 18 holes of golf, fished till we got our limit ate fish till we were stuffed then we played pool in the bar till closing.......hat trick!! all in one day....man was he game and about 70 years old too.

Joan I too wish I could go back to those old days.........the flood gates are open as so many memories come back......everybody was uniquly different and special in there own way.....boy...Auntie Pat's laugh, Uncle Oscar's finger, Uncle Ed's belly,Chrissy's eye patch, those crazy auctions from the stuff that fell off the conveyor belt at Eaton's........... ok I over did it.........

Well I am in Phoenix alone as Bonnie went to give Melissa a hand in Winnipeg...our baby and her baby are having a tough time of things but we hope to be together within a week or so.

Our highlights are:

The birth of our grandson Kaidyn Anthony

Maeghan's engagement to Jayson and upcoming wedding

Hal's new job as business manager at Pacific Motors

Looking for an apartment or condo in Winnipeg as lake life may be in its final years

A great visit with Garry and Joan and girls......so good to see my longest and best friend on his feet......we may be celibrating our 60th birthdays together in June....if its at our place anybody that can keep up the pace is welcome...book early

Did I mention watching the wrestling matches at Pat and Jake's on Sunday nights...ok I'll quit already

Happy memories to all and to all a good night

TED & BECKY:

Thanks for doing this for our family. Here is our news.

Adrian is busy with his band. He is driving now and hopes to get his licence in July. He has a part time job pumping gas at Co-op. He is going to Chicago with the school band in April.

Last week Declan started with baseball skills and is looking forward to another year of baseball. He is planning a trip to Japan for 4 weeks this summer. He will be visiting one of the students that stayed with us two years ago.

The kids are planning to go snowboarding in Denver for spring break while their parents stay home and enjoy the quiet. Can you tell we are getting older?

Ted keeps busy with work and driving the kids around. I keep busy with work and the kids.

Thanks again.

Ted, Becky, Adrian, Declan.

FRANCES:

CHRISTMAS REMEMBERIES

I don’t seem to have specific remembrances of specific Christmases; instead I seem to have a bit of this and a bit of that – except maybe the year the Grandes house burned down on Christmas Day. But I think it’s more appropriate for Linda, Tony or Chris to relate that story.

Although strictly from what happened at my house, I remember that little 3 room house on Lee Blvd. being stuffed to the rafters with people – all the Grandes and maybe more. And I remember Uncle Frank fainting and Auntie Betty crying. And my mum and dad organizing sleeping arrangements. In the morning Linda and I went over to the remaining foundation and basement (after many admonitions from 4 parents not to go close) and looked into the basement to see if we could see any of her Christmas presents – including the guitar she’d received. Of course, we didn’t, and if we had, it may have hurt even more.

Editors note: I was there too. I came over for the night from Grandma's with Auntie Betty and Uncle Frank and we saw the fire as soon as we crossed the railway tracks. It got crazy after that. Garry and I were so parinoid about that fire it must have taken us about 5 years to get over it. We used to drive our parents crazy about our oil burner in the house. We used to check it over and over, just to make sure our house wouldn't burn down.

In the early years at Grandma and Grandpa’s on Alfred Avenue, I remember Grandpa always bought a tall Christmas tree. The ceilings in the house on Alfred Avenue were high and I think Grandpa must have wanted the tree to touch the ceiling. I loved those tall trees then and I still like tall Christmas trees.

Also from those days – Lindie and Joanie do you remember how Grandma used to tell us to go outside and check to see if any of Santa’s elves had been around to see if we were behaving ourselves? We’d go outside and find mandarin oranges outside in the snow alongside the house. It never occurred to us that Grandma had been able to open the bedroom windows and throw the oranges outside into the snow. But even if it had, there were footprints, little footprints! How did they get there? I don’t know how they got there – must have been something Grandpa did. This ruse went a long way to continuing our believe in the great saint.

GLEN & MICHELLE:

So here it goes...new friends, new house, new schools, new job, new clinic to work in, traffic jams, hockey twice per weekend and such.

Christmas has turned into a rotation of home and away. One year we're in Wpg with Michelle's parents and family and some time with my extended family, then one year at our house, with my parents coming out to spend it with us. Meals have to include 3 different traditional meals- Michelle has tortiere, perogies kulbasa and cabbage rolls. We need to have the Grande tradition of "bungey cord" spaghetti and pipettes-the ground veal/beef/bread meatballs. There also must be a turkey dinner in there somewhere!

The kids open a present ChrIstmas Eve and then have the rest Christmas morning including the stocking and Santa's gifts he left.

This year was Edmonton, so next year is Winnipeg.

Work is interesting with my company importing vehicles and doing local wholesaling too. We import trucks, sportscars and even buy tow trucks, dump trucks etc. http://www.theautosource.ca/ is our website.

TERRY & EVELYN:

I remember Christmas at Grandma’s and Grandpa’s. It seems, in memory, a chaotic time of turmoil, all those cousins! When we arrived and opened the door the smell of turkey filled the room. There were aunts, uncles, and cousins in every corner of the apartment. Everyone was chattering. There was lots of laughter, silly jokes being told and uncles teasing one another. Food was plentiful and good. All the grandchildren got a little something from Grandma and Grandpa. One year the girls got aprons and the boys got a deck of cards. We couldn’t wait to open our gifts. These gifts were important to Grandma and Grandpa and the grandchildren sensed that. We were fortunate to have such caring Grandparents.

After eating and some playing, the older cousins (mostly the female ones) began the plotting of the “performance”. My thought was “who are they going to dress up this year? Grandma and Grandpa were especially happy and that was the most important thing.

The men got to drinking and playing cards. The volume rose. The cousins split into generations, and the night came. After awhile the party slowed and the Mums would bundle us up and we would drive home cold and tired, Mums and Dads tipsy and welcoming their beds.

JOAN & GORDON:

Christmas Memories:

I remember being so excited on Christmas day. After all the presents were opened, we would have breakfast and then go across the street to my Grandpa Kehler's house. Garry and I would have "say a verse" for him before he would give us our Christmas Present, which was always 3 dollars. We were rich! But, the downside was we could only keep one dollar and the other two had be put in the credit union (for our college education) ha, like that ever happened. But, we had to save it anyway. We were very proud of our little bank books, and at $2.00 a year, we thought we surely would be millionaires by the time we grew up! Obviously, both Garry and my math skills need a little honing. No college for us huh? (We were shocked!:)

After leaving Grandpa's it was time to load up and head for Winnipeg. The usual Christmas arguments ensued with our parents. We wanted to take some of our presents with us to play with. But, that was strictly verbotten! Mom always said, "either you will loose them, or the other kid's will break them." "You will get lots of presents from Grandma & Grandpa when we get there." We argued about this every single year. We never got to take anything with us.

Finally everything was loaded up (except for our damn Christmas presents), and off we went. There was always extra blankets and pillows in the back seat because it was usually so cold. It was very cosy. Then the fun began. There was an invisible line that ran through the centre of the backseat. Should one of us cross it, a very loud fight would ensue, very loud, with some pushing and shoving included. And we weren't even out of town yet! By the time we hit 75 highway, my dad had slowed down about 15 times, taking his right hand off the wheel, and reaching over to the back seat smacking whoever happened to be in it's path. We spent a lot of the ride on the floor! Not everytime, but most times when we went to Winnipeg one of the "suicide" doors of the car would fly open. Normally if this didn't happen before Morris, dad was fairly confident he had fixed it from the previous incident. So, from Altona to Morris Garry and I had to sit in the middle of the back seat....touching the invisible line. I can see now, that all that fighting wasn't our fault at all, we were forced to sit side by side for 45 miles!! for heavens sake. I can't believe one of us never flew out of the car. Anyway, the rest of the trip from Morris to Winnipeg was better. We played "I Spy", and some road games that consisted of who could spot a car with only one headlight first, or spotting an out of town licence plate. Good times!

Dad would usually have a beer tucked between his legs. I think he always packed two or three for the road. Nice huh? Now, in our times, he would have been hung. We always knew when Winnipeg became closer, when we could see the railway tracks beside the highway on the left hand side. The excitement built to huge proportions, and because we were allowed to take as much of our Christmas Candy with us, we were hitting the ceiling by then. Dad, who by that time had mellowed out a bit after a beer or two wasn't trying to smack us anymore. He would play a game we called "look." Everytime it got out of hand in the backseat, he would turn his head really quickly and give us a "look." We thought this was really funny for some reason. At least we didn't have to duck anymore. We would egg him on...and say "Dad look at us." That was a really good thing to say to a guy who was drinking and driving.

St. Norbert!!! yay, we were almost at Grandma's. We read every billboard and sign out loud on Pembina Highway and beyond. I always got Mama Trossi's first. (I liked to win) Once we were were over the Salter bridge we were so pumped up, Garry and I were hanging out the windows yelling and waving to Grandma, a little too early.

All the cousins would be waiting for us at the window...jumping up and down...The Kehler's are here, the Kehler's are here. Yes, the country bumkins had arrived to a house full of aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents in the big city. We unloaded the car, and brought in the Christmas presents and of course my dad personally escourted his two-four of beer in the house. I guess you could say we were rednecks, before the word was invented.

There was some serious playing to be done, Christmas Carols to be sung, pageants to perform, turkey to eat, presents to open, bingo to play, boys to be ignored, and always a beautiful tree to be admired. We always loved the bubble lights.

Linda, Frances and I had our own hidy hole in Grandma's basement, where we met and formally and had a fan club meeting for our latest heart throb. I believe the meeting was held in the little room where Grandma kept her canning and preserves. No other kid's were allowed in. You had to say the secret password to come in. If not...take a hike kid! The secret password was Cherub I think. Linda was the President, Frances was the Treasurer and I was the "note taker" or something like that. It was very serious business. Once the meeting was over, we could go back to trying on Auntie Pat's wedding dress for the 50th. time. I can't believe she let us do that.

Linda's Grandma Grande lived down the street from Grandma's and we would always go over there for awhile to visit with her other cousins. I remember Grandma Grande would be standing over a big wooden table shredding what I thought was the most stinky cheese I ever smelled. She always tried to get me to try it, but I wouldn't. She would say "Jonie,Jonie," try da cheeze it's good for you! I remember the day I tried the cheese, and I loved it even though it stunk. My love for Parmeasan cheese has never left me to this day. Grandpa Grande always had a huge train set in the living room. I was so amazed by it, I couldn't wait to get there to see it again.

As the evening would progress it would get louder and louder...Grandpa trying to convince everyone that "the earth was flat" and Mayor Juba was an asshole. Uncle Jake would sometimes strum on his guitar and we would all sing. Of course the night would not be complete with some serious Bingo...on the top of the house "O-75." Pennies were counted and put on the table, then the games began.

Boxing day was also thrilling. I got to go shopping at Eaton's with the one dollar my Grandpa Kehler gave me for Christmas. I think I had more Christmas money than that "one" dollar, probably five at the most. A trip to Eaton's also entailed a lunch stop and the 5 and dime (Woolworth's). Here Grandma would always buy us a hot turkey sandwich with french fries, and a coke in a cone shaped paper container. Real restarant food was a novelty at best, after all we only had one restaurant in Altona, Harry's Cafe, and the food there was very questionable. We heard he served rat and cat meat, and we believed it.

I have gone on way too long, sorry for bending your ear, or eyes in this case. I keep on remembering stuff.

ON THE HOME FRONT:

Things have been going good around here. Gord is feeling great (touch wood). He has lost weight, but not as much as I would like. But, he's trying. Old habits die hard. I know he misses eating hamburgers, and bacon and eggs, pizza etc. but he has given them up. We don't do restaurants anymore. Too much salt and fat. I really don't miss it. It's a little more work for me, but we are eating very healthy. I just wish the manufacturers would quit putting so much salt in their food. I read every label like a Natzi. I bought a box of frozen chicken breasts the other day only to find when I got home they had added salt...to frozen uncooked chicken breasts!! How stupid is that? If I want salt, I will add it. No wonder every one has high blood pressure.

I am still working. I don't forsee retirement in the near future, but am looking forward to it once it comes.

I was hoping Lisa would do the Kehler stuff, but I haven't heard from her.

Garry is doing better. He is walking on his own. He is even doing small projects around the house. Joan has still got the daycare, she was thinking of going on her own, but I'm not sure if she has. Lisa and Cheri are working and still living on Ashburn. We all got together for Christmas dinner at Joan and Garry's. It was nice, because we haven't been able to get together on Christmas day because usually they go to Dauphin for Christmas.

Just some misc. pictures..