It's new Years Eve...a time to take stock of the last year, plan for the next year..feeling the pressure of doing SOMETHING important tonight..

Mine involve some low key plans..hand out with family..including the critters..a fondue..some type of game...perhaps even staying UP ..( if i can) until MIDNIGHT..

I am SUCH a party dude being influenced by ALL those people having SOOOO much fun on Facebook :-)

In truth I don't have a personal facebook account, I have a love/hate relationship with technology/social media..and I am feeling pretty good about a low key night ( hopefully squeezing in some of the hockey game )

I find it a good time to look back on the year..my Mom died..a few months later my old dog Jesse also died..

This is my Mom with me the in front, Michael on the left, Ian in the back

Mom (known to most of you as Kay) died June 16, 2015 at an extended care home, The Good Samaritan Hillside Village in Salmon Arm. 

She had a variety of ailments which first put her in extended care 13 years ago (fibromyalgia, severe arthritis, heart disease), but her strong Scottish will kept her going, as she recently sang on her 80th birthday 3 weeks ago.

She was born on May 30th 1935 in Edinburgh Scotland and was the eldest daughter of the Rev John Symington and Jessie (Gyp) Symington, of Dumfries, Scotland.

She graduated from Hutcheson’s Girls Grammar School in Glasgow and trained as a nurse and midwife at the Deaconess Hospital in Edinburgh.

Mom had the travel bug, going to exotic locations in Europe, then ultimately to the United States and Canada, where she worked as a nurse. 

Somehow she ended up in Lillooet BC, meeting a handsome, dancing rancher (Dad).

The next thing you know she was married, pregnant , and raising 3 sons on the Jones Ranch at Texas Creek Road in Lillooet.

She worked full time as a nurse in Lillooet, delivered many a baby, was the one who took care of all the injured sons/cousins at the farm, cleaned the house, cooked most of the meals, was the primary breadwinner, dealt with farm family dynamics and supported dad in politics/school board/golf course.

You can see why she enjoyed her glass of wine and cigarettes.

Mom loved music and dance and was a fan of Broadway musicals such as My Fair Lady and Carousel; she was often singing while in care, knowing most of the church songs by heart.

I’ll always remember her thick Scottish accent, telling us boys to get ‘ooot’, along with her desire that we don’t choose farming as a profession ( 1 out of 3 ain’t bad.. )

She was a good Mom, who we could always count on to be there, probably under appreciated, and not deserving of all her medical challenges, but sometimes life is like that.

She is survived by her younger brother David who lives in Gray Creek BC and by her three sons, Andrew, Michael and Ian and by many grandchildren, all of whom live in BC.

Jesse, my 18 year old dog who has been sick with a variety of ailments, died on Saturday.

He was euthanized comfortably at home with the rest of his family present.. he still wagged his tail that morning, but after a short walk to pee, was unable to stand.

Jesse came to us after my father died in 2010…at the time he was thought to be not the best behaved dog, and the sound of my dad yelling JESSE was heard by ALL the neighbors frequently…

But he seemed to choose me..immediately after my dad died he jumped into the back of our vehicle, assuming he was to come home with me…and he did

He turned out to be a great dog..

He bonded with all of us, although he tended to follow me around, even waiting to go upstairs to bed until he saw me coming up the stairs..

Jesse walked with our kids to the bus/school..barked to warn us of threats from attacking squirrels..chased away the evil skunks ( which led to a BIG supply of skunk off)

He went running/mountain biking with me, and as little as a year and a half ago went for a 50K run.

He was filled with personality, always talking when he wanted food, or thought he should be having attention instead of something else..

Whenever I hugged my wife Catherine, he would go off with his rrrrrrrrrrrrrr dog talking as if to say..don’t hug her…hug me :-)

You would think it gets easier as pets get older..unfortunately not.

But he added so much to me and my family, and I am so glad he came to us.

Jesse you were much loved, and will be really missed.

See you next year.

Dr Andrew