{"id":2182,"date":"2011-12-25T07:15:09","date_gmt":"2011-12-25T07:15:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.stragnell.com\/befoulednews\/?page_id=2182"},"modified":"2023-12-16T13:26:21","modified_gmt":"2023-12-16T13:26:21","slug":"christmas-2011","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.stragnell.com\/befoulednews\/christmas-2011\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas 2011"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"e-ticket\"What a rollercoaster ride we\u2019ve had this year! We\u2019ve had some excellent \u201chighs\u201d but we perhaps could have done without the occasional \u201clow\u201d. Thankfully, the lows are but a rapidly diminishing memory. A real \u201cE-ticket\u201d ride as we used to say in the day.<\/p>\n

Greg\u2019s annual pilgrimage to the home land to check on his folks provided the usual high spots and, once again, brought them enormous pleasure \u2013 they are always delighted to see him leave. They are both doing well and the visit provided the opportunity for a weekend jaunt to Lake George as well as a quick visit to the emergency department at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock to have his eyes examined (Posterior Vitreous Detachment<\/em> was the verdict) \u2013 a mere blip on what was otherwise a great trip. The visit culminated in Greg\u2019s being able to fulfil a long-held ambition \u2013 to see the Red Sox play at Fenway. And, best of all, he was out of the country during the insufferable nonsense surrounding the Royal Wedding \u2013 definitely a high point!<\/p>\n

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June provided the \u201clow\u201d of the year when Greg was diagnosed with prostate cancer. However, the outstanding staff at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford helped us come to terms with the diagnosis and reassured us that the condition was treatable and curable. A robot-assisted radical prostatectomy at the beginning of September initiated the recovery and we were given the \u201call clear\u201d two months later. And to think that there are those who claim a nationalised health service couldn\u2019t possibly be any good.<\/p>\n

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\"In<\/a><\/p>\n

In July we celebrated Greg\u2019s 60th birthday. (We know his birthday is in December but who wants to host a family gathering in England in the midst of winter?) We had two weeks in Tuscany with the three boys and Lucy, Pen\u2019s sister J and some excellently good friends. The weather was glorious, the scenery and sights spectacular and the food and wine in abundance. We visited Lucca, Florence, Pisa, San Gimignano, Montefegatesi, soaked up the sunshine whilst relaxing by the pool and generally spoiling ourselves. We tried our best but it seems even our enormous expenditure wasn\u2019t enough to save the Italian economy. You can find some of the least bad photos here<\/a> or a short, snappy little slideshow below. Enjoy.<\/p>\n

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