Season’s Greetings to all. Since the
last letter we have once again had a very eventful year. Having a one year old
has ensured that we are always on our toes. Liam has grown from a baby firmly
into toddlerhood this year. Words become more distinct and more plentiful by the
day. As with every toddler, his favourite one is “NO!” However, thus far we are
grateful that he is generally an amiable soul.
Mid-December found Aidan as a single
parent as Marisa was sent to an EU sponsored conference in Antigua. On 16th
December, my brother, Brendan and Suzy had a son, Benjamin Thomas. Mother and
baby came through well. Liam’s first birthday also a few days before Christmas.
We held a small celebration for him and a big one for us, as we held our annual
Christmas party on the same day. Christmas came and went and we rang in the New
Year. Liam went into the Toddler class and settled in well. Very soon after
this he started walking, one step at a time to start with, then many, then
faster, then running – and now Daddy and Mummy are tired.
As has become customary, Aidan and
Marisa walked the PALS (Patients’ Assistance League Service – a cancer care
charity) walk. This involves a 15 mile trek from Dockyard to Hamilton.
Unfortunately, Marisa sprained her foot on this walk and this has dogged her
for a good part of the year. Aidan also ran his first APWT (Annual Personal
Weapons Test) with the Regiment as a Senior Range Conducting Officer, following
his qualification in the same in 2011.
Marisa’s dissertation proposal was
approved in March and although she is still working on it - The End is Near! Overall it was a mild and dry winter, which
was a significant change from the last two or three. This meant that the plants
in the garden started to bloom in late March and early April, instead of June.
April also brought another round of Highland Dancing examinations.
Following in the Highland theme,
Bermuda hosted its first Highland Games in June, ably assisted by the Band and Soldiers
of the Atholl Highlanders, the personal private army of the Duke of Atholl.
Events included the “Toss of the Caber” and a kilted relay race. Aidan was in
charge of “The Highland Run”, which was a 6 mile cross country race, which
included four steep hills. Most participants liked the course, however admitted
that it was tough. Marisa ran the Highland Dancing Competition. Once again we
had no overseas dance groups. However there is a promise of several when the
Games returns in June 2013, so stay tuned. The Atholl Highlanders also
participated in the Queen’s Birthday Parade in celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s
Diamond Jubilee. They were the first
foreign contingent to participate since the British and Canadian forces left
Bermuda in 1995. Sgt. Stones also received his Diamond Jubilee Medal. Liam also
won his first medal when he came first in a running race at his school sports
day.
The Regiment Band travelled to
Jamaica in late June to participate in the Jamaica Military Tattoo, part of
Jamaica’s 50th Anniversary of Independence celebrations. We were
housed at the University of the West Indies, and I was prepared for the
mosquitoes. An electric fan also greatly helped. The Canadian Army sent a
group, which included members of the Ceremonial Guard from 2011, and the
Trinidad & Tobago Steel Band was there from our visit to Virginia in 2007.
One of the more interesting visits was to the JDF Coastguard and we had a tour
of one of their new Coast Guard ships.
August was hot, humid and horrible,
so we spent most of it indoors. However, September brought cooler weather when
we travelled to Ireland and Boston with Aidan's parents. We stayed in a very
nice apartment on the outskirts of Dublin. We took Aidan’s parents to
Valleymount, and the Poulaphuca reservoir under which the village of
Blackditches lies. This is the ancestral home of the Stones family. We also met
up with my father’s cousin, Dermot on a number of occasions, as they had never
met. Dermot’s sons Hugh and Rory also met us one evening for dinner. We were
delighted when Dermot arranged a visit to a restored Martello tower,
overlooking Dalkey including a personal tour from the owner and restorer. We
took Liam to an exhibit called Imaginosity, which was billed as a Children’s
Museum. It is actually a series of interactive exhibits for children of all
ages, including a grocery store, rally car driving simulator and a three storey
climbing apparatus to name a few.
From Ireland we flew to Boston, where
we stayed for the final weekend. We saw a concert by Idina Menzel at the Wang
Center and took Liam to the Davis Farmland. This year he was followed around by
a young goat. Unfortunately, Aidan got very sick on the final day, which put a
bit of a damper on events.
Marisa spent a good proportion of the
Autumn compiling data and writing the various parts of her dissertation. Aidan
was drafted in to assist. Liam takes a parent and tot dance class on Saturday
mornings, which he appears to enjoy. He is also becoming a drummer, having a
very good sense of rhythm. He has been known to parade around the house with a
bucket on his head and being a drum major.
Aidan has also spent some time on
Ancestry.com, in the public library in Dublin and collating information from
other family members and sources. He has developed quite an extensive family
history. One particular branch leads back to Normandy in France, where an
ancestor came to England with William the Conqueror in 1066. He also discovered
several former school and work colleagues who turned out to be relations.
Another interesting fact is that his Irish roots lead to a great Grandfather
who was a farmer of pigs and chickens in County Wicklow and a great great
grandfather who travelled to New York in the late 1800s, which may be where the
family legend of the stone carver who created some of the statues in St.
Patricks Cathedral, New York may have come from. Another avenue to explore,
another clue to investigate.
Next week, Aidan will travel to
Chicago for the Mid-West conference. This a four day series of musical
workshops to improve his musicality, courtesy of the Bermuda Regiment for being
the Best Senior Non-Commissioned Officer for 2012.
In closing, from our family to yours,
may we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year for 2013.
