Christmas 2002
Darryl December 15th, 2002
Season’s Greetings from the Goedes
Well,
another busy year has flown by. Once again, it’s time to relax for the
holidays, and look back at the good things the days of 2002 brought to
us.
We had a very important family year, with new beginnings for our children
as they continued to make lives for themselves.
(If you would like a closer look at the pictures,
just click on them to make them larger. There are also some links that
you can click on as well)
After
getting our share of weather anomalies like the rest of the world, 2002
seemed like a go-ahead year for the land, and for us.
Glenelg
This year gave us a continuous stream of beautiful days and much good
success with our plantings. New native fruits include passion fruit, carambola
(star fruit) and pomegranate.
The early part of the year was spent completing the cleanup from Hurricane
Michelle of the previous fall. We finally finished clearing the last of
the storm-toppled trees from the bight side beach, main road frontage,and
lane. Two acres of new planting land were created in the process.
Bougainvillea
on Wall
We enjoyed watching the plant life recovering, and with the good rains
all year, everything is looking lush and colourful.
Sebastian
and Michael
In the early part of the year, with help from Michael and his good friend
Sebastian Grinham, who now works with us, we also finished our sunroom
and kitchen, two big jobs left from our renovation. The woodworking shop
hummed for days as they learned all about cupboard construction, particularly
the never-ending finishing, sanding, staining and varnishing!
The
“Tiyan” Craned off the Truck
In early March we trucked a sailboat from up island that had been slightly
damaged in Hurricane Floyd. Dubbed “The Tiyan”, our goal is
to have her ready for an inter-island trip in mid 2003. We have a series
of work bees planned with friends and neighbours to get her back in the
water in time for the journey. It will also be nice as a way to get out
more ourselves onto the beautiful waters of the Bahamas.
The
Beautiful Bride and Proud Parents
We travelled to Edmonton in late March to celebrate daughter
Jessica’s wedding to Scott Wilson. It was a very quick trip. Some
late winter weather arrived at the same time we did, and we didn’t get
as much visiting done as we had hoped.
The
ceremony went very nicely, and over 120 friends and relatives were there
to help Jessica and Scott mark their special day.
Jessica and Scott
After their lovely wedding, she and Scott now make their home in Edmonton.
Jessica is working in administration at the Remand Centre and Scott works
in customer service at a vehicle transmission dealer.
With new career, new home, and a new family, this year was special and
memorable for Jessica, and for us.
In April, with the help of visiting
cousin Paul, we rebuilt the lookout tower to a height of 20 feet. On a
clear day you can see about sixty miles, with a 360° panorama of the
entire island and a pretty view of both oceans. It’s a great spot to watch
the sunset or spend a sunny afternoon in the breeze.
The
Cave
With the work effort finally being able to move beyond storm cleanup,
we opened paths to a pretty little pond, the cave, and to the tower. The
cabana got a new roof, and the Bight Side beach has a new firepit and
sitting area.
The
Greenhouse, Ready to Plant
In July, we finished glassing our greenhouse and immediately set in
a few hundred new plants. The greenhouse is now full of sea cabbage, yellow
elder, bougainvillea, hibiscus, a breadfruit tree, crotons, orchids, and
frangipani. The pretty pink rose and orchids have bloomed as well and
that is a true reward for all the TLC given them. All will be planted
early next year.. Soon we will be enjoying them in their new homes in
the newly cleared areas at the gates and beaches.
Michael
and Anne in India
Son Michael, who had spent the first few months of 2002 helping us here
in Eleuthera, then travelled to India to join his girlfriend Anne. They
returned to Canada in the mid-summer. Shortly after, they surprised us
all with news that they are going to be parents in January, 2003. They,
as well as we, are very excited and happy. We now eagerly await the arrival
of our first grandchild! Anne and Michael have settled in Toronto. Michael
is teaching job skills to new immigrants and low income workers. Anne
is completing some university courses in preparation for teachers’ college
in the fall.
Nancy
Upholstering
Nancy’s year included plenty of home crafts to keep things nice around
our place, and also many special heirloom gifts for family and friends.
Nancy’s
Quilt for our New Grandchild
With two big family occasions this year, her quilting was very active.
Her wedding quilt for Jessica and Scott, and a baby quilt for our new
first grandchild (oops, we mean Michael and Anne’s new baby,,,) now grace
the homes of our children in Edmonton and Toronto.
Canning,
Shells and Basketmaking
This year Nancy also became very active with a new natural
arts and crafts guild formed on Eleuthera. Drawing its members from
residents from the native and foreign community alike, they get together
regularly to learn hand crafts. The guild members work with natural materials
from rock and shells, to coconut and driftwood, to preserving and basketmaking,
their natural work is helping to keeping interest in old native crafts
alive.
Visiting
School of Nurse Sharks
One of the interesting natural events this year was a school of nurse
sharks sighted on our Bight Side beach. A harmless animal, it is rare
to see more than one at a time. We had three visit us for about an hour
one early morning, lounging around it the water while we photographed.
One
of our great pleasures this year has been continuing to work on the family
tree website. There are now over 2400 of our relatives in the records,
with a few more being added every few weeks. Many people have been sending
pictures and information. We are hoping to greatly enhance our records
as other family members who are interested in their family history begin
to join in. The family website is called “all-our-families.com“,
and we invite you to have an enjoyable time visiting it.
Darryl
Fixes a Door at the Crafts Guild House
Darryl continues to be very busy with his internet marketing work. This
year, he did quite a bit of traveling throughout the Bahamas in relation
to it. It was a good opportunity to see some of the other islands, although
our preference is still this quiet island we call home. He spends a lot
of time in the shop where he works on furniture, cabinetry, and woodcrafts
using natural materials.
Beachside
Campfire with Friends Bruce and Terry
2002 was another good year for visitors. The cottages
continue to be a great way to make new friends and meet interesting people.
As well, we enjoyed several visits from our family and friends, including
Blake, Gwen and Madison Fallis, Ron Grinham and Gerry, Paul and Olga Jamison,
Lea, Harold, Richard Perkins and Angie Pike, Roana, Jessica and Jasona
Rondeau. We enjoyed sharing our place with first-time visitors, and with
those who are now visiting more often.
As
we enter our seventh year of living in Eleuthera, we see a few things
on the horizon for the next year. Two more homes are planned next year
for the people who work with us. We are planning a large garden expansion
to further our dream of a self-sustaining livestyle, and to move a little
further off the grid. We also are planning to build more cabanas for the
beaches. New roads will be made to give us better access to the gardens,
and storehouse, and to feature the plantings by the entrance, now hidden
in the surrounding foliage.
When we were young adults, we never seemed to spend enough time with
old friends and family. We’ve discovered pleasantly enough, living in
a beautiful secluded place such as we do is a great way to renew and get
re-acquainted. In that spirit, we extend a warmhearted invitation to feel
free to come for a visit and enjoy tropical island life with us.
Our best wishes to all of you for a happy and prosperous 2003!
Warmest regards,
Nancy and Darryl