Happy New Year dear readers

My 2008 ends with a goodbye and my 2009 begins with a happy birthday. I'm at a funeral today for my grandfather, Jack Prier, who died Christmas Eve while visiting my parents. He died quickly and painlessly, or so I hope. He rolled out of bed at 3:00 a.m. and that was it. He was 96 and mentally fit and physically strong for his age, so you can hardly ask for a better way to go. But I'll miss him all the same. My grandma Audrey Prier, who is 90 and still sharp, is now on her own in their condo in Winnipeg.

A milestone birthday

My other grandma, Donalda Whetter, turns 90 on January 2. She's having a party at Hartney, Man., where she and my parents and my brother and his family all live and farm. Grandma still lives in the same little farmhouse she moved into when she got married in 1940. She too is still physically and mentally fit, taking long walks in the pasture in the summer and cross-country skiing in the winter. We're having a community "tea" on Saturday afternoon to celebrate her birthday, then the family is square dancing after that. I've never square danced, but my grandma and grandpa loved it, so this will be a chance for her to pass on the skill to her grandchildren and great grandchildren. (Not that I plan on starting up a square dance club, sorry to say.)

Being able to spend time with family, in good times and in bad, is a gift. I am glad that we all get along, on both sides, which makes visits all the more enjoyable. In reading Elaine Froese's column in every Grainews issue, I know that not all families are so blessed. May 2009 be the year when you can work through family difficulties, open up, speak about your problems, and trust that the person you're speaking to is receptive and worthy of your effort.