My First MEME:..............

This photo represents 2008 and is 39 years in the making. Not Colin and I, but the fact the lighthouse is at Peggys Cove, Halifax and I dipped my hands in the Atlantic on the North American side finally. I came to Canada in 1969 and it was a goal to be able to dip my hands in both sides of the Atlantic. Romy and I had hoped to take a tour of the Maritimes upon retirement, but that wasn't meant to be, and so I had to make the journey alone, visit my son and finally reach the goal, it was a satisfying but poignant moment for me.

This is my meme............as Bean asked.............

Five people to tag.........stuck already, I don't know people who blog other than Beans' friends.

Question: What was I doing 10 years ago?

Wow, it was a tumultuous year for us, plus an exciting one. My friend went to Switzerland and I helped take care of her house, garden, cats and dog. Jenni saw Riverdance, and Romy and I saw Yanni, both concerts in Vancouver. Romy and I went out west to a lake where we heard that the pelcians migrate to nest. What an incredible sight, hundreds of them sitting on one piece of an island waiting for the ice to melt, more flying in as we sat and watched for 6 hours. Romy flew to Trenton, Ontario to an RCAF re-union, some folks he hadn't seen in 40 years.

Next we took a trip up a mountain in our Toyota 4 runner, that was an amazing experience and then for Fathers' day, we arranged for Romy to go up in a Harvard and do loops right here in Williams Lake.

The traumatic point was down-sizing and moving from our beloved lakeside home to renting a log cabin. Although surrounded by trees and a wonderful view, it took some adjusting, but was very convenient being on a hillside on the outskirts of town. We then bought a 20 foot trailer, our first RV, I don't think our old tent or tent trailer back in the 60's counted? We loved camping, spent every free hour and vacations with it til mid October! Visiting, Saskatchewan and Alberta, all of BC and of course time in Tofino. For Romy's 60th, we drove to Boundary Bay airport (Vancouver)for another Harvard flight. Such a thrill.

Jenni, Colin with their friends were home for Christmas, they and our best friends, Marie, Bill, Sylvia and Bert. Our log home really took on a wonderful look with fir boughs and red bows etc. A great Christmas and a busy, fun and wonderful year.

Question: What was I doing a year ago?

Having had some bad health for a few years and adjusting to being a widow was taking up a lot of my time. But I flew to Montreal for 4 weeks over Christmas and the New Year. I flew back January 9th, it was a bumpy landing and the pilot said there was an imminent storm coming. I didn't waste time, dumped my suitcases, and went for groceries, I was in the house with them about 15 minutes when the snow started flying.

My flight was the last one for 3 days! Snow, high winds and a temperature of MINUS 37! Welcome home indeed! In May Colin, Jenni and family spent two weeks in Tofino. Later Jenni came and helped me get the trailer spring cleaned and ready for camping. We spent a weekend with Adam's family at their Green lake cabin, and in August I camped 6 weeks on Canim Lake. Had a garage sale, went to weddings and birthday parties and then flew back to Montreal with my best friend Marie to babysit my two granddaughters for two weeks while their parents roamed Europe. Marie and I had fun, but was tiring!

The year was one of discovery as a widow and a single person again as the pain and grief eased. Discovering who I am, who I want to be, what I want to do with the rest of my life, find out what/if I had goals interests for the future took time. My health was not good and the deteriorating back is causing problems with my ongoing heart problems, controlling the pain has been difficult. Although very lonely sometimes, being ones' own master can be very exhilarating as well. 2007 was definitely a defining year for me.

I made many discoveries - that only my health can stop me from doing anything I want to do.(well maybe money a little bit). That a birthday celebrated with phone calls to the campsite from my children and campers singing a Swiss happy birthday song, complete with yodelling at 9.am in the morning, holding out a glass of wine brought me to tears. That watching shooting stars and satellites grace the night skies while sitting around a campfire in complete silence, with 8 awed European tourists was truly moving and the companionship "touching". All had never seen such a dark night sky in their lives, it was their turn for tears.


I found that getting the munchies and stoppying at a far out country corner store, can lead to catching a glimpse of an ad on an old bulletin board. It was the "old school writing" making me curious. The store let me use their phone (cell was out of range) and the phone call brought me to a house in the backwoods and to a cache of old Barbies and Polly Pockets for a small amount of money. That money, turned into riches, as I heard the joy of my granddaughters as they opened up the box in Montreal, and just recently again to see the hours of fun that discovery brought them and me.

The year ended on a low note as I couldn't make the flight to join everyone in Montreal for Christmas, but I count my blessings and am grateful for a pretty good year and I finally did make it,3 months later, not only to Montreal but to Halifax too.

Question: 5 snacks I enjoy.

1. Cream cheese,cocktail sauce mixed together, crackers and fresh shrimp.
2. Thin sliced smoked salmon on toast with capers and onion slices.
3. Strawberries and evaporated milk.
4. Jenni's homemade hummous with chips.
5. Jenni's homemade salsa with cilantro etc.

Question: 5 Things I would if a millionaire.

1. A clinic for Colin, a second car for Jenni and her flyboy.
2. Help the local SPCA with a bigger building.
3. Take my friends/family to Tofino.
4. Find my mother-in-law a place to rent on the ocean/lake for the summer with her sister and hopefully me too!
5. Visit my sponsored child in El Salvador with my kids.

Question: 5 Bad Habits

1. Stay up too late.
2. Put off organising pictures, film, tapes etc
3. Won't go back to dentist to get teeth fixed (involves anaesthetic) ergh!
4. Eating too much "instant/ready-made" foods
5. Let tv interfere with other things

Question: 5 things I like doing

1. Watching my grandchildren, anywhere, anytime.
2. Being in Tofino with my children/grandchildren
3. Being at the ocean
4. Travelling (especially to the sea)
5. Watching wildlife, sunsets, especially birds/ducks/ etc.(at the ocean!)

Question: 5 things I'd never wear again.

1. Apparently stirrup pants?!!!! I thought they were back IN style???!!!!
2. Bikini...even with my 36-24-36 body, I was very self-conscious at 21.
3. All in one culottes.........ever been in a hurry to go to the washroom?
4. Fur
5. Fake fur....until I know it was definitely synthetic...

Question: 5 Favourite toys

1. My teddy bear, he now sits on my dressing table, he is 59 years old.
2. RV trailer and 4 Runner "on the road again"
3. My digital camera
4. Binoculars
5. Computer

Phew...that took some time...as for toys, I went back in time to my 3rd birthday. I was at the seaside, at a wonderful big old english hotel situated on a cliff. It was very old-fashioned, had revolving wooden doors to the garden which smelled of nivea cream. Oh my, so nostalgic. In the afternoon, there was tea/cucumber sandwiches and cakes served in this beautifully furnished "drawing room", usually around 30-50 people there, and there was an orchestra playing.

As I sat there, the band played Happy Birthday for me, and I had to walk up to the maestro, who handed me my teddy bear which was quite big, maybe half my size at the time. I froze and just couldn't get my legs to go back to my Mummy!

It was August and Clement Freud, son of Sigmund Freud was courting my divorced mother. Clement came, picked me up, Teddy clutched in my hand and took me back to the table where a huge birthday cake was now waiting, with lit candles etc. It fed all 40 or so people there at the time. I have never forgotten that birthday and damn I just gave my age away!!!

A meme: small biography.........voila!