Susan (SWENDSON) Defoe
Kamloops has been home for me these past 8 years. After early retirement I moved here to be close to one of my daughters and her twins and also because I had had enough of city life for awhile. There are times I still miss the pace of Vancouver and all it has to offer but feel comfortable in this city of some 85,000 people.
Family:
Sandra has now moved on to Calgary and lives near her brother. Another daughter is in Edmonton and one in Red Deer. My second son is in Port Coquitlam. I make my annual circle tour to visit them once a year but most trips are to Nelson to visit my Mom who, at 92, is still very active and just moved out of her home 1.5 years ago. She still DRIVES and is the one who picks up the friends for a game of Bridge.
Present Activities:
Much of my day is spent with my little dog, Tia, who doesn’t realize she has it so good! Two long walks a day and too much good food. In addition, I also spend hours volunteering for such diverse causes as ushering at the Sagebrush Theatre, one-to-one reading at the school, Crimestoppers and the Dog Club. This March I spent the month in Portugal and it was well worth it. So sad now to see some of the places we visited going up in flames with the terrible forest fires there.
Now on to reminiscences.
I remember things like our “Houses” A,B,C,D and the wonderful skits performed. In particular House A doing its rendition of Grandma’s Lye Soap. How beautiful we thought the old gym on the top floor looked when it was decorated for a dance; the great music of the Kampus Kings; the cow coming (sorry, that should be being brought) into the school; and having a gang of girls smoking a pack of cigarettes at noon hour because we couldn’t take them home! I will always remember locking Mr. Loomer out of lab class and being thoroughly entranced by Mr. John Norris’ English class (or was it John we girls thought was so perfect). So many, many memories. Ah, those really were the days.
