Here we are at the Fraser Valley Italo-Canadian Society Christmas Dinner and Dance on December 7th.
Christmas Week 2024
This year Susan and I had a very quiet Christmas together. We visited with family and went out for New Years Eve. Our first event was a Christmas dinner and dance in Langley put on by the Fraser Valley Italo-Canadian Society on December 7th. We are members of this club and really enjoy the people. Their events are warm and friendly and we always have fun.
Caesar and Lise took us to see the Nutcracker on December 19th at the Queen Elizabeth Theater. It was a fabulous evening and the performance was wonderful. The last time I saw the Nutcracker was with Kathleen when she was a young teenager. That was at the QE Theater as well.
Christmas morning I got some wine under the tree and Susan got a new smart phone (which she needed badly!). We both got ‘ugly Christmas Sweaters’ but she won’t put her’s on. I don’t understand what that’s about but I wore mine most of the week.
As the grandchildren have grown they have become consumed by their own lives and it is more and more difficult to get everyone together. Susan wanted to have Caesar and the kids in for a Christmas dinner and the only night that really worked was December 21st. Caesar, Lise, Nico Sam, Dominic and Sheila came over and Susan cooked a wonderful meal. And of course I made my cranberries and I also did the gravy. I don’t understand why I am the only one who likes the cranberries on my turkey. I guess it is a matter of what you are raised with. After Christmas dinner we went outside for a picture. Caesar had brought an inflatable Santa as a backdrop for our picture.
December 21st Susan put on a super Christmas dinner for us. Her turkey was incredible and my cranberry sauce and gravy were amazing!
After Christmas dinner we went outside for a picture. Caesar had brought an inflatible Santa as a backdrop so here we are in the front yard with Santa.
Christmas Eve Gordon and Ann had my side of the family in for dinner as they have done for a couple of years now. As usual it was a great evening. Susan made cream puffs and I made a crostata as our contribution. But there was so much really great food that they were hardly looked at. Gordon does chickens instead of turkey and they are so sweet. Much better than turkey! We were all there except for Sean and Shiela who were in Costa Rica on their usual Christmas vacation and Kate’s children Paul and Sarah who were both of with their partners for the evening.
Gordon, Ann and Mosey in the kitchen preparing dinner.
I wanted to give the kids a present for Christmas and it happened that my book company at “blurb.com” was having a sale on picture books so I thought a book on the cottage on Valdes Island would be appreciated. But the sale only lasted a few days by the time I heard about it so I rushed to get the book done and sent in for printing. In the result the book is incomplete and I was not too happy with it. I will get to a second edition later this year. But it was well received as it was.
Nora, Keiko and Olivia and Sophia getting their dinner. The chicken was fantastic. In fact, it was all wonderful. The evening passed so quickly with the good convesation and wonderful meal. Susan was not well that night and did not come so I was there alone and did not stay late.
Stopping for the obligatory family group photo is a pain but I know the pictures will be treasured in years to come. In this picture Sean and Shiela are missing. And Kate’s children, Paul and Sarah, had obligations elsewhere. As I said, the childrens lives have overtaken them.
Christmas day Susan was pretty ill, some kind of flu, so we spent a quiet day together. It was nice, actually, and we had a Christmas dinner of leftover turkey, stuffing and gravey. It was so good! We had the fireplace lit and the house was warm and delightful. Susan drank rum toddies for her flu and I settled for scotch to help me ward off whatever it was that she had. And that is how the three of us, Susan, Coco and I, spent the day.
Before we went off to the New Year’s Eve party at the Italian Cultural Center we took the time to have a Christmas portrait done by our favorite photographer.
Our last holiday party was the New Year’s Eve dinner and dance at the Italian Cultural Center in Vancouver. We chose this party because our friends had decided on it although we would have preferred the FVICS party at the Langley Events Center.
However, before we left for the Center we took a Christmas/New Years portrait of us in our New Year’s finery! Susan looked great and as it turned out she was one of the top two or three best dressed women at the party. And I mean of all of the women of any age!
When we walked into the hall at the Center we were so impressed. The tables were done in black with gold trim. The chairs were draped in gold fabric over black covers and each table had a candle. It was the prettiest I have ever seen at the Cultural Center. Really well done!
Klaas vandenBos
Tony Marocco and Josephine
John Costin and Sue
Considering our age, Susan and I look pretty good!
Lou Marocco (on the right) playing at the Italian Cultural Center on New Year’s Eve 2024.
The Center generally has a good kitchen and this evening was no different. The dinner was excellent. We had the usual antipasto, then lasagna and finally a nice piece of filet mignon. It was cooked a little much for my liking but it was good. And finally there were Italian pastries for desert. The coffee bar was open so we were able to finish up with really excellent capucinos.
In their desire to keep ticket costs down wine was not included in the ticket price as it normally is. There was a well stocked cash bar and one could buy a bottle of wine. However, I had wine from under the Christmas tree so I took a bottle with us in our shoe bag. There were wine glasses on the table already so that worked real well.
Lou Marocco provided the music for the evening and as usual it was very danceable. Maybe a little too much rock music for our taste but then he has to play for the crowd and they certainly seemed to enjoy it. The floor was crowded with dancers all night.
And that was our Christmas this year. It was very quiet and very enjoyable. We spent time together, we were able to catch up with friends and family, we ate well, and we are left looking forward to the New Year.
We want to wish all our friends and family the very best in the New Year and we hope the coming year brings many blessings for you as the last one did for us.
Here we are standing with Tony Marocco and Josephine in the foyer of the Italian Cultural Center before going in to dinner.
This is our Table 23. On the left are Donald and Sophia who were the best dancers of the evening. Then there is Klaas and his lady. In the center is Shay who was not at our table that night and I don’t know how she ended up in the picture. Then we have Susan with Tony and Josephine. Finally on the right are John and Sue. It was a good table and the conversation all evening was most enjoyable.
The “Marr Family Pictures” is created by me, Flynn Marr, and is a private photo album of the Marr family and it’s offshoots.
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