Adrian and Lynette: Fate works in wonderful ways and surely it was fate that resulted in Adrian being assigned to a teaching practicum in Abbotsford (after a position on Salt Spring Island fell through). Our story begins in 1992…. "I put an ad in the Abbotsford Times looking for room and board. Somehow this caught Janet's eye and she called me. She confessed later that she was a little surprised by the male voice on the other end of the line (she associated "teacher" with 'female"). After an initial visit complete with one of her delicious roast beef dinners, 1 knew 1 had found the place for me! For the following three months 1 think 1 filled the void in Janet and Tom's "empty nest". She fed me so much that my family and friends could no longer recognized me in the photos 1 sent home (I even kept pace with Nitro). Janet once sacrificed official RCMP cloth to make me a lunch bag for work. Needless to say Tom was not impressed! She always welcomed me home at the end of my day with warm tea and conversation which went a long way in getting me through my first teaching assignment." When Lynette returned to Canada from Ecuador and discovered that Adrian was offered a full time teaching position in Abbotsford the decision was made to move to B.C. .......... "Adrian had talked so much about the Hill family that 1 had thought 1 already knew them, but nothing prepared me for the warmth and generosity I found in Janet when 1 first met her. She immediately made me feel at home and although she thought 1 was anorexic (or maybe bulimic???), she kept that to herself. No matter when we might drop in to St. Gallen Drive we would find ourselves sitting around the kitchen table after Janet 'whipped up' a meal, or tea and treats. Her work in the kitchen always seemed effortless and we were always entertained by her stories of the prairies, the hippies, her nursing career and her family. When Lynette and Adrian began making wedding plans Tom and Janet extended their generosity even further ...... When we announced our engagement Tom and Janet began to convert their basement into a spacious two bedroom suite for us. Janet made sure the apartment had all the luxuries _ a self cleaning oven, a dishwasher and a microwave (only one of which we have in our current house!). When we moved in, the Hill children began to worry about their position in the will! Janet took Lynette (as a new bride) under her wing and taught her many things about cooking. However; Lynette never succeeded in producing the same results in her husband's waistline as Janet achieved in Adrian's first 3 months in the Hill residence! Janet's love of quilting also rubbed off on Lynette as she showed her how to spend big bucks on the best fabrics in town! When we were expecting our first child the Hill family was there every step of the way. After the arrival of Rocco (a.k.a. Julian) Janet's role of surrogate grandmother began. She handled him like a pro and he was so comfortable and secure in her arms. It was Janet who often introduced Julian to new foods, who taught him to get up and down stairs and sang to him of "The Happy Gang" (which he recognized instantly about 2 months ago on CBC radio!). Janet was the only grandmother Julian really knew in his first few years of life and she has had a tremendous influence on the little boy he has become. And, Lynette still recalls the feeling of panic she felt when she found out that she was pregnant with her second child when Julian was just 10 months old. Janet quickly reassured her that the boys would be "great friends". It was Janet that recognized the mischievous glint in Quinten' s eye the first time she saw him. He was a hard one to hold on to for very long, yet he would always hop up on Janet when he saw her for a quick cuddle. And although Quinten was only a little over two rears old when we left B.C, he spent a lot of time running around the house on St. Gallen Drive trying to make a quick dash for the stairs any chance he got. When we think of the time we spent living in B.C. we couldn't imagine what it might have been like had Janet and Adrian not connected. She has played the role of landlady, friend, nurse, surrogate parent and she has been the ultimate West Coast Grandma! Janet is one of the very few people in our lives, aside from family, that has had such an impact on us all. Through her warmth and generosity she has shaped the people we have become. Happy Birthday Janet !!!!! Love, Adrian, Lynette, Julian, and Quinten Bev and Ross: Dear Janet, What fun we've had! From our first meeting at the gym to our most recent coffee we have shared so much (mostly laughs and mostly at ourselves). Though the years of our friendship have been few, they have never been boring. Before Janet my retirement pales. I thank you for adding zest and sparkle to my life, for all the yummy recipes, for introducing me to quilting and for sharing your "expertise", for our enjoyable jaunts to Vancouver and the North Shore, for your always ready sympathetic ear, the walks on the dyke and so much more. You have such a unique way of "calling things as they are". I often get many extra chuckles when we are apart just thinking of what you have said. As an example, you asked me to come and see where you had hung the picture of the family home - you promptly opened the bathroom door and said, "Dig the $3000 picture in the crapper!" Our relationship is so stress-free and I have never felt so at home and accepted for whom I am. No putting on the dog for us! My dear, I know the best is yet to come. I'm looking forward to lots more fun in the future. I love you, Bev P.S. Ross says that the best thing you brought into our lives was Tom -¬don't tell him though as we wouldn't want it to go to his head! Elizabeth Jones: Thank you for inviting me to contribute to your Mom's memory book; we have known each other since our days in the Operating Room at Lions Gate Hospital in the 70's and that's a long time ago. While I was living on Edgemont and your parents found themselves homeless, having sold one home and not completed the other, they came to my door wondering if there was room at my place for them, their dog and, I think, two cats. Of course I said yes. I was working or something at the time and came home every evening to find a meal cooked and my hall turning blue ¬your father painted my hall blue! On another occasion, Janet and I headed outfor Granville Island one Saturday afternoon but decided to check out Carter Honda Dealership on Burrard on our way and a young salesman by the name of Dave McDonald greeted us. I'm sure he shook his head when he saw us two old dolls, but within a couple of weeks we had each bought a new Honda and I imagine Dave McDonald headedfor Hawaii. I believe Janet is still driving hers and my granddaughter is driving mine. Happy Birthday, Janet!!! Elizabeth Jones Pat and Bob Cathro: My fondest memory of Janet happened when we were at Rob and Gary's Pee Wee game in Port Moody. We waited in the coffee shop after the game. I mentioned that I thought the reffing had been one sided. Janet casually replied that she agreed and came up with a rather interesting way to penalize the ref. That is when I began to know her and love her. There were memorable shared moments over the years (many I can't mention in front of our children). I spent many happy hours at cold rinks with Janet cuddling with Brian for warmth, and eating his candy, when his sisters weren't chasing him around the stands. Happy Birthday to a very precious friend. Love and best wishes from Pat and Bob Cathro Gladys Foster: As you may know your Mom & I worked together in the O.R. Many funny things happened where we worked but I'm sorry they are classified. As I'm sure you understand we kept everything under our O.R. hats in the practice of our calling. However there was something that I wish to tell you now. I suspected your mother of collaborating with your father in my apprehension in regard to speeding. There were times when I had to speed in order to get to work on time ¬sure enough, a young cop appears out of nowhere and tickets me. Unfortunately for me it happened a number of times. How did they know to hide in wait for me? Someone had to be tipping them offl It had to be someone in the O.R. who had cop connections and it doesn't take a super sleuth to figure that out to be Janet Hill. Please tell your mother that I love her in spite of that indiscretion and I wish her a happy birthday - may all her dreams come true and may old Father Time never be unkind! Best wishes, Gladys Foster