https://itunes.apple.com/ca/playlist/mackey-musical-reflections-2018/pl.u-mJy8YRRuKMXr

For our 2018 Christmas letter, we would like to offer you our playlist for the year.

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/be-more-kind/1339759613?i=1339759621

An anthem for the times. “History’s been leaning on me lately”.

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/this-year/62390581?i=62390487

Having already used Twin Peaks’ “It’s Been a Year” we had to find a different song with “Year” in the title. This one describes the ups and downs of life well.

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/a-million-dreams/1299856714?i=1299856905

It is no secret that Jeryn is a HUGE Hugh fan and that she is very disappointed that he is performing in Toronto a week after her convocation at Guelph in June. Thea has joined the fan club and this was her favourite song from the movie, which her devoted father is learning on the piano.

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/prayer/1210915694?i=1210915822

In October, Lori met some of her friends and Jeryn in Toronto for a fun weekend. This musical was a highlight.

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/i-belong-right-here/1130084199?i=1130084417

We were fortunate to have Naomi Shore and Lyndsay Walker perform a house concert for us as part of our “first anniversary of living in Kamloops” house warming. One of the songs they sang was “My Peace River” by  Miss Quincy.  We felt this particular track spoke to our Peace River roots but also our feelings about settling in our new home.

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/mr-lonely/192965779?i=192966100

When asked for suggestions for the playlist Rachelle offered this. How she came to be listening to Bobby Vinten is anyone’s guess. We suspect the choice arose because, having graduated from High School, she was adapting to moving out from the Shenton’s and into residence at Northern Lights College with a roommate who “is in the kitchen calling her friend and yelling at her. And also watching a show at 12. I totally don’t want her to shut up so I can actually sleep or anything”. Karma?

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/el-paso/885680748?i=885680808

El Paso is one of Lori’s dad’s favourite songs (and we suspect it also made an appearance on JVM favourites) so this is in honour of Jerome coming to stay with us in transition from Drayton Valley to Ladner.

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/one-great-city/271955958?i=271956007

Continuing the Mexican theme, Jeryn suggested this in honour of Rachelle’s Mexican boyfriend Pedro.

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/one-great-city/271955958?i=271956007

It’s not that we hate Winnipeg it’s just there are not many songs that feature the prairie capital. Because Paul was doing a locum in Neepawa (the home of Canada’s only estate brewery) in the summer, Paul, Lori and Thea got to visit Winnipeg, notably the impressive Museum of Human Rights. Thea finally got to see some of Canada east of Edmonton but it became apparent that the landscape all looks much the same from east of Edmonton to Winnipeg.

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/balade-au-bout-dune-echelle/486089649?i=486089662

A road show Cirque du Soleil performance in Kamloops was an event we could take our Chinese home stay student Hera to and we would all be equally baffled and amazed.

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/come-down-the-river-with-me/1311847164?i=1311847170

If we compiled a soundtrack of our lives, we would include Jann Arden’s music. It was a highlight to see her perform in Kamloops.

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/aqua-profunda/1437126606?i=1437126761

Mick and Wal are also on the soundtrack of our lives so it was fascinating to hear them workshopping this track while we were on the safari tour in Africa. Paul made a short trip home in November to attend the Melbourne Cup with family and to drive his Dad and Sandra to wineries. lt was a little surreal for Paul to say hi to Mick and Wal and hear the final product at the Merri Creek tavern.  You know you are getting on when the artists you follow are selling tea-towels as merch!

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Adam came to visit. And did some fishing.

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/four-simple-words/606652286?i=606652376

We saw Frank Turner perform in Vancouver and dragged along Lori’s sisters and brother-in-law. A sincere, high energy concert. This is his “traditional” closing track and so a fitting book-end to our 2018 playlist…

For the encore…

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/movin-out-anthonys-song/671200650?i=671200651

What would a Mackey playlist be without some Billy Joel? This one seems the most descriptive. Jeryn “moved out” of her exchange program at RMIT in June and did some travelling before heading to Fort St John and then back to Guelph. Upon graduating in April she’ll be moving back to Fort St John to work with Urban Systems. Oh and to be with Ted. Liam too will be moving out. He has been home with us in transition between UVic and continuing his studies in January at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops. Rachelle too will be moving. In January she is moving to Saltillo, Mexico, for 6 months, to continue her studies. And to be with Pedro. Thea is moving but just up, not out. In grade 10 at St Ann’s, she enjoyed playing on the senior volleyball team but is not enjoying being the senior flautist in band. “Those grade 9s don’t know anything”. Paul has been moving around a fair bit doing rural locums: Terrace, Barriere, Clearwater, Fort St John, Williams Lake, Salmon Arm, Chase, Ashcroft and, in Manitoba, Neepawa and Thompson. As a result Lori has been moving around less. She had been doing some pharmacy stints in Fort St John, Keremeos and West Kelowna but has been focusing more on her medical editing work for David Mackey and being a m-uber for Thea.

Life moves on.