...welcome to Philip's Fan Club!

SHERRY and ADOLFO

Everyone has a favourite uncle and aunt. As a kid I remember so well my uncle Henry. He was a teacher...drove a 'Harley'...took us for rides...he was so 'cool'!

For Philip it's Aunt Sherry (Diane's much younger sister) and "Tio' (that's uncle in Portuguese). He worships them...thinks the world of them...loves them to pieces (Christmas is coming...have to make him look good!).

Without Aunt Sherry and Tio next door, life for Philip, right now, wouldn't be the same. We've been here in Kitimat now for 3 years, and, other than for their vacation times away, Philip has managed to see them or call them 'every single day'. We're only 2 minutes down the street...could that be why they talk so much of retiring and moving to Portugal?...hmmm! Nah...they honestly enjoy his company...especially as he has this overwhelming, innate need to tell 'everything' that has happened, or was said, in the Thiessen household. They don't need CNN...Philip keeps them current with all the latest news... 'up to the minute'...'hot off the press'...and they're very quick to inform us that they 'know things'...and...'hush money' would make things a lot easier! "Why did you have to tell 'that', Philip?", we'll ask. "Had to get it off my chest dad...had to get it off my chest!" And for some strange reason, we believe him. Fortunately there's nothing that scandalous that we won't survive (but he does keep us on our toes!).

Tell me everything Philip...or I'll pick your nose!

He drives poor Aunt Sherry crazy! She's calling 911!

Philip decided shortly after we arrived in Kitimat that Aunt Sherry needed a 'body guard'. She would call from home or work to say she was on her way over, and, within seconds, having donned his black 'body-guard' vest, he'd be out the door to escort her safely to our place. Was he protecting her from the bears...forest urchins...ravenous ravens? I think not! He just needed his daily Aunt Sherry 'fix'! (actually we all do...she's a sweetheart).

Philip's wondering if he should be dropping bread crumbs!

Adolfo's your typical uncle. He messes with Philip...teases him...wrestles with him...and very gracefully tolerates Philip's inordinate infatuation with his wife (that would be Aunt Sherry). Philip can never get enough of her hugs and kisses...I wonder if he's envious? (maybe that's why he takes his nephew on those long walks deep into the woods...and along those lonely, forlorn river banks...hmmm!). Philip was delighted when Adolfo left recently to go hunting for 2 weeks, for, in his words...Aunt Sherry's finally free of his 'tooting' and snoring!" (well amen to that!). And I've warned Philip time and time again to keep a sharp eye on Tio. First the Portuguese stole all the cod from the Newfies...then he stole your Aunt Sherry's heart...how long before your pencils go missing...eh? Philip sleeps with one eye open these days!

Adolfo thought maybe he could 'train' Philip!

...instead, he just took over!

Of course, I'm kidding! Philip and Tio are, in the words of that famous Newfie expression...'the best kind'! Philip is very lucky to have been so positively influenced over the past 3 years by his Uncle Adolfo. Philip knows it...and so do Diane and I...we greatly appreciate it (I'm sucking up here...Adolfo might pull my name for Christmas...you just never know!).

Philip and Aunt Sherry really 'blue' it this time!

And speaking of Christmas...Philip can't wait. Not for the lights...or the presents...or the turkey (those are a given)...but for the fact that he gets to sleep over at Aunt Sherry's Christmas Eve - for the third year in a row! Not that he's not allowed during the year. But this is the 'biggie'...the 'night of nights'...the 'icing on the cake'...the 'Superbowl of Sleepovers'! He's already packed...2 notebooks...2 binders...and a handful of pencils! (forget the clean socks, underwear and toothbrush...mom will take care of that!).

Note: Yesterday was Remembrance Day in Canada, and during that 'one minute' of silence, Philip remembered something. His pencil inventory was down...HE ONLY HAD 48!! Thank god it was a holiday (here in BC it's a stat...hey Ontario...you lose!), otherwise he'd have been burning up the sidewalks to get to the store. He buys them in packages of 12...that would have given him 60...his 'magic' number! When he wakes up today (it's now 2:30 in the afternoon...go figure) you know where he'll be off to!

Tuesday night has always been 'card night' at Aunt Sherry's (mind you, we've become quite the 'excuse aficionados' recently...'cause we old folks are often exhausted after a harrowing day at work...heeheehee...and while he puts up a stink, Philip can easily be placated with some inane promises that seldom materialize. He's easily manipulated...and we love it...so there!). On those nights when we haven't 'begged off', Philip must go ahead of us so that he can have a 'one-on-one' crazy 8s game with Aunt Sherry first...a 'warm up' to the big game...and believe it or not...he usually trounces her and takes home the 'big money' later...no wonder he loves Tuesday nights!

Our time here in Kitimat is well past what we had originally intended. We came here in 2006 so Diane could spend a few months with her sisters (in August of 2007 her sister Elaine passed away...she was only 55). Diane says we're not going anywhere. She's found her true calling here in Kitimat...working with children with autism...and working as a 'behavioural interventionist' at the Child Development Centre. And as long as Sherry and Adolfo will put up with us...and keep loving our son...guess what?...we ain't goin' nowhere!

So pull up a chair...put the kettle on...and shuffle up and deal!