January: We thoroughly enjoyed celebrating the New Year in Savannah, Georgia with our friends Jimmy and Kathy. Savannah is a walking city oozing history and Southern charm providing you sidestep the projects and homeless which applies to any city in the world. A bloody Mary at Chubby’s on the riverfront was one of the highlights.
February: We were subjected to our first dramatic incident of the year when a couple of our friendly neighbor’s (I use the term figuratively) trees came crashing down onto our property. In Georgia damage to one’s property is deemed to be an Act of God and the neighbor is devoid of responsibility. Nevertheless, $1900 for a bunch of firewood is too rich for my tastes.
Pope Benedict XV1 resigned/retired making him the first pope to relinquish office since Pope Gregory X11 in 1415.
Swansea City won their first ever trophy in their 100 year history by demolishing Bradford City 5-0 in the Capital One Cup Final. Unfortunately they appeared to suffer from a cup hangover for the rest of the season by only winning one more win in the Premiership.
March: We spent a delightful time on the island of Bermuda which is steeped in British colonial history. We booked a cozy little retreat through “Vacation Homes by Rental” which my wife picked out on the internet. The owner had done a fabulous job converting a two-storey brick built storage building into a modern residential unit. We paid a visit to the “Swizzle Inn” and eventually “staggered out” after several rounds of the local brew “dark and stormy.”
Wales annihilated England in the final game of the Six Nations Championship. The media had made England hot favorites to blow away the Welsh and win the Grand Slam and Championship. Maybe that’s all Wales needed to romp home 30-3 and claim the Champions crown for themselves.
April: I made my first fishing trip which is odd when you consider I lived on the coast for over forty years. Panama Beach, Florida was an ideal location for my virgin fishing venture and the icing on the cake was catching a 4 pound Spanish mackerel (the fish increases in size each time I mention it) at my first attempt.
A bomb exploded in the crowd as runners crossed the finish line during the Boston Marathon on April 15. Three spectators were killed and 264 were injured.
May: Talk about a roller coaster month. My granddaughter Alice Violet was born on the 21st and four days later I was admitted to hospital with appendicitis. I was assured by medical staff it warranted routine surgery and I would be out within a couple of days. Unfortunately I developed complications and two days turned into a two week stay. New medical terms, ileus, nasogastric tube, and PICC line, became very familiar to me.
Alex Ferguson retired after managing Manchester United for nearly 27 years. His resume of 13 premiership titles and two Champions League wins is unprecedented in the English game.
June: The roller coaster ride continued. My grandson, Alexander Charles, was born the night (7th June) before I was to be discharged from hospital. Weak as a kitten I was looking forward to flying out to California on the 14th to celebrate our 20th Wedding Anniversary. Not so fast old man, there’s another twist in the tale. On the eve of our departure, we were subjected to a violent storm and four massive trees came crashing down in our backyard, one narrowly missing our house and another landed on our neighbor’s roof. Miraculously our friend told us to go and assured us that he would take care of the situation. Reluctantly we obeyed and had a wonderful time on the Californian coast.
Sopranos star James Gandolfini died aged 51.
July: Tension was in the air again with my stepson experiencing severe headaches and numbness down one side of his body. He was subjected to a series of tests at Emory Hospital and was diagnosed as having an AVM (arteriovenous malformation) in his brain. It was determined that he would require surgery to remove the AVM. On a lighter note, Andy Murray became the first British player to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936. The British Lions defeated Australia 2-1 in a series down under thanks to a nucleus of Welsh players.
August: My stepson underwent brain surgery and I transformed into a drill sergeant to help him embark on a slow road to recovery. Fortunately he was in good shape physically and the prognosis was good. Meanwhile my wife started a new job and coped magnificently bearing in mind her husband and son had recent spells in hospital. England retained the Ashes by a flattering margin of three tests to nil.
September: Summer was nearly over and it was a time to recharge the batteries. Atlanta had suffered one of the wettest summers in years. What was the point in emigrating all those moons ago if I couldn’t enjoy blue skies sitting in the hot tub?
October: We flew over to England to see my new grandchildren. Not so pleasant was encountering the obnoxious British motorist. Happily my children and grandchildren were in rude health, and one couldn’t ask for more. It was great to meet up with Archie at the Salutation Inn in the picturesque village of Castlecombe.
Landscapers transformed our back yard resembling a war zone into a potential green oasis.
November: We stayed at home for Thanksgiving in Atlanta for the first time in years and became acquainted with Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Swansea City and Cardiff City played each other for the first time in the Premiership. The result was not good for a Swansea Jack, losing 0-1 to their arch rivals from the East. To add insult to injury, the goal scorer was a former Swans player, Steven Caulker.
December: England suffered the ignominy of a whitewash in the second Ashes series of the year. Bizarrely, Graham Swann announced his retirement in the middle of the series. Obviously he saw the writing on the wall and didn’t care for the script. Despite a 0-5 thrashing the captain Alistair Cook and coach Andy Flower were not dismissed.
Nelson Mandela, prisoner turned president, anti-apartheid icon, and father of modern South Africa died aged 95.
History was made in the James household when we cooked our second turkey of the festive season. My family and I wish you a happy new year, and on a personal note we would like to look forward to a healthier one.
I am in this because I am amazing and I love your blogs because I am in most of them
Sincerely your beautiful and amazing grand daughter
Alice Violet James