This annual letter is
always a perfect excuse to reflect and although this year has coughed up it’s
challenges, the laughter and cheer we’ve had amidst the woes certainly purges
the bad stuff. So, here’s a selection of nibbles and tit bits to give you a
little flavour of what we’ve been up to.
We felt very fortunate
to spend a week of February with the family (3 generations deep) surrounded by great pillows of snow while skiing in the
French Alps. Dad’s dad (Peter, aged 81) took pride in beating us youngsters to
the bottom of the slopes and we all thoroughly enjoyed our fondue feasts, endless
mugs of chaocolat chaud and après ski dips in the exquisite wooden chalet pool - alpine
bliss!
Our new addition to
the family and dad’s loyal sidekick is black Labrador puppy Rhum. Despite the little terror’s phase of eating
everything in sight, he knows exactly how to melt our hearts by tilting his
head to the side with an innocent look of convincing ‘cuteability’.
Mum’s back home with
us after an elongated summer stint in hospital. We’ve been updating her blog
regularly to keep you posted (carolynmasheter1963.blogspot.co.uk). Since being
back at Aigas she’s really enjoying the string of visits from friends, family
members and her cheery carers. Dad’s carved a mushroom like sculpture in the
garden out of a tree trunk that mum’s rather delighted with. He continues to be
our ultimate handyman and resident knock-off Jamie Oliver in the kitchen, while
still able to launch himself down the ice rink as an official national curling super
league semi-finalist this year(BIG WOWs).
Katie escaped library
captivity and dissertation distress this June as a graduate with a 1st
Class BA HONS degree in Business and Marketing. She’s now working for Thorntons
Head Office as a Graduate Management Trainee and has subsequently relocated to
Derbyshire. It’s a heck of a drive home but a manageable 8.5hours. The decision
to chow down on some chocolaty career goodness has worked out well and she
still finds the time to regularly pluck her harp strings at various events,
hike in the heights of the Peak District and play competitive golf as a new
member at Breadsall Priory Country Club. She’s continued to check-off travels
from her ever-extending bucket list of ‘places to see’. The most momentous of
these this year was an extraordinary two week jaunt to China as an Ambassador
for Glasgow Caledonian University, highlights of the trip included clambering
the Great Wall, reaching the summit of Mount Tai and being swallowed up by
Beijing.
Alice is thriving in
her 3rd year of Social Work at the University of Edinburgh and loving
her new flat shared with three lively course mates. She enjoyed working for The
Action Group supporting ten service users with a variety of physical disabilities,
learning disabilities and mental health problems. Currently she volunteers for
the Homeless Project at St Catherine’s Convent which offers a safe place for
people across the spectrum to find hospitality and practical support. On a regular basis she
ventures back to the Highlands to help at home and spend time with her dashing
boyfriend who lives and works on a local estate. Before the Christmas holiday
she completed a placement at the Multi-Cultural Family Base working with
deprived and vulnerable children and families from black and minority ethnic
groups. There haven’t been any exotic holidays but she really enjoyed a getaway
to South Uist with old school friends.
Make sure you enjoy
that turkey and mulled wine
Love Carrie, Phil,
Katie and Alice
