1996

I look back on years like 1996 and realize just how fortunate I have been with my life.     Each life comes with some scars, and some bad memories, but there were so many years in my life that simply rolled along with one good event after another.     I loved living in our house in Kingsburg and spent some time each and every day in the pool, until it got too cold.     It was fun to share it with others and I especially enjoyed Sundays, when Debbie, Toby and  Blake always came from dinner and I enjoyed the pool with the kids.

We had one fun event early in the year when Uncle Cecil and Aunt Ruth came to town on a visit from Oklahoma.     Many of the Craig family gathered together in a buffet restaurant (Hometown Buffet I think) and it was fun to see some of the cousins we hadn't seen in a while.     This photo shows Bill and I with Katrina (how many of you remember her with her blond hair?).   

Dick and I did some more RVing, and we especially enjoyed one up the California and Oregon coast and on into Washington where we visited with Cousin Joe Topper and Rosalie.     We were lucky in being there the same time as Cousin Norma and husband Chuck and also Cousin Arva.

This was taken during this visit and I chuckle at this photo - you can how much weight I put on when I quit smoking.     I think I got even higher than this for a few more years.     Looking at Samantha behind us, I think she must have shared my meals!!!

Louise and I took off that summer, just the two of us and headed up the coast first and then ended up in Washington taking the ferry over to Victoria on Vancouver Island.

We stayed with Irene at her beautiful home in Duncan - some forty miles north of Victoria.

Andy was living with her at the time and the two of them took us on many great trips.     Duncan is known as the Totem Capital and there are numerous huge totems throughout the town:

We drove up the island to Nanaimo, and Qualicum Beach, stopping on the way at the town of Chemainus:

This was a very interesting little town.     Apparently it had quite a nice little tourist industry going, but when they put in the new highway it was bypassed and the town was all but dying.     Some enterprising souls came up with the idea of painting murals on all the walls throughout the town depicting the local history.     The paintings are quite remarkable and one can see them all in a nice stroll around the town following 'footsteps' on the walkway.     It became a major tourist attraction and the town was saved.

Of course had to visit Victoria itself and treated ourselves to 'afternoon tea' at the Empress Hotel.     The traditional English tea was served with scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam.    Louise, Andy and Irene all took a pass on the clotted cream, so I got the lot!!!!     Just love that stuff.   (see photo above with RV!).

Of course I had to show off Buchart Gardens to Louise before we left.     On the way we home we took the inland route, visiting with Joe and Rosalie, and then with Hazel and family.   In fact we had Louise's birthday party there.

Debbie, Blake and I spent a few days at the coast late that summer which was fun.     It was nice just to have quiet visiting time with her.

When I go through the albums triggering my memory on what happened in any particular year, I occasionally come across a photo that I had almost forgotten, but just love.     The following one of Dick is case in point.     I call it THE WORKING MAN.