Yuck!

 

My grandson, Chad, turned 14 last week. It was an exciting and eventful week for him, apart from his birthday. He has another school drama under his belt, he performed admirably in an interschool track meet, he turned in an excellent report card, and, we all got to help him eat birthday cake on Sunday.

He loves his mom very much, but he likes to be cool and pretend that this display of affection is not to his liking. Actually it really is.

Ice Caves

 

That tiny glacier, or snow bank, in the distance became more intriguing as we approached it. There was an opening with a small stream pouring out from under the snow and as we followed the channel, we discovered the ice cave. Here is Liam and Keith, entering and as long as you could see the entry, Liam was OK with it.

 

Here you can see the look of apprehension as the water is dripping and it is bit darker back here. The wonderful blue green glow in the background is the light filtering through the ice.

 

The smooth, hard, gentle undulations of the surface were icy cold and wet, giving us a great relief from the outside temperature of 28 C. It was a mysterious and intriguing place to be as the water dripped and the branches of the cave spread outward.

 

Here is Nate in the back of the cave where it was very dark and only the camera flash gave light. The walls look pillowy soft but they were as hard as nails so we were not concerned about a cave-in.

 

Here are the boys exiting the cave and ending their most excellent adventure. We got wet and cold so welcomed the hot sun as we returned to the trail.

A Day At Baker

 

The weather this summer has been phenomenal and we realised that it will soon be back to dismal weather, so we decided to do  family outing. We skipped our usual Sunday morning church and attended services in the worlds most spectacular cathedral, Heather Meadows above the Mt. Baker ski area. I am not a world traveller, but I have been to a few places and this is by far the most spectacular place one can get to with relative ease. It had been many years since we last hiked here, and it was even more spectacular than we had remembered.

 

The scale is deceptive, until you start hiking into this bowl. In a few weeks this will be covered in snow and by next spring could be under 25 or more feet of snow and ice. Note the 'little' snow bank in the center of the photo because my next post will be about what we found there. It is not a little snow bank at all.

 

busylizzy enjoying the warm sunshine, invigoratingly fresh air, and spectacular views.

 

My three grandsons, Nathan, Liam, and Chad. It was so great to spend a day with them and enjoy together the sights and the trails.

 

Mid day picnic time in the alpine setting with chipmunks darting about for crumbs, the hot sun on our backs, and a home made blackberry pie. Can it get better?

 

Liam had been under the weather just the day before, having to spend part of the day in bed. He was totally recovered and hiked like a trooper, not once complaining about the length or steepness of the trails. What a fun kid! He will be 6 in a few days.

Next post, I will show you the bonus we found which was the highlight of our day.

Passing

 

Today I attended the memorial service of my son-in-law's grandmother. Over the years I have become acquainted with some members of his family, and his grandmother was one of those people. She was in her late nineties and had virtually wasted away from Alzheimer's disease, similar to my own mother's last years.

 

When she was still of sound mind and body, I met her many times at my grandson's birthday parties, as those boys were her great grandchildren. She was an attractive and well groomed lady, classy, kind, loving, compassionate, and full of many other virtues that were expounded upon by my son-in-law in his wonderful tribute at the memorial.

 

Keith and I had a similar experience, both of us holding our loved one at the moment of death, he his grandmother and me my father. It is a profound experience, one that a person never forgets.

 

We fight death all our lives. Death is the enemy and we do everything in our power to fend it off, even though we know it is inevitable. Everything from wearing seatbelts to eating healthy and exercising, is all done with the goal in mind, that of fending off this relentless foe. We do this because life is a precious gift, something to treasure and enjoy, and partly because we know it can be taken from us in a heartbeat.

 

When we are in the presence of a dying person, we witness the triumph of the enemy, the final defeat of the very thing we have fought against all our lives. We reluctantly give in to it because we know it is, in the end, inevitable no matter what we do. But here is the profoundness of it. At the very instant that life slips away from the body, it enters another dimension, and continues on. It is only the death of the body, but because that is what is tangible and seen and touched, we have this strong sense of loss and finality. In fact, it is not the end at all, but the beginning of something entirely different for the soul.  

 

In both Keith's and my case, we witnessed something unseen. It is not a contradiction. "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord" is a promise that we have, so we know that our loved one is immediately in the presence of the Lord as they sigh their last breath. Suddenly, we are only holding a shell, a flawed vessel that contained our loved one, but will now no longer be needed. Our loved one has broken the bonds of this earth and has entered a realm that we can speculate about, but also one which we have some information from God's word.

 

And herein lies the great comfort that Christians have regarding the loss of loved ones. The parting is not final. The reunion is coming when it is our turn.     

A Birthday and a New Restaurant

 

It was our daughter's birthday this week and as is our tradition, the five adults in the family went out for dinner. It was her request that we go to Brodeur's Bistro on the corner of Blueridge and Mt. Lehman. We are always game to try something new, and because the Super Bowl Game was a done deal by half time, we met at 6 pm and found the place almost empty, despite all the large screen TV's playing the game.

There was a lot on the menu that looked very appealing but I chose the Buttermilk Chicken Gourmet sandwich with Poutine on the side. You can see from the photo just how large that was! Rachel has been here several times and is working her way down the menu. For the rest of us, it was mixed revues. I loved mine, but a few of the others were giving it average votes. It is a bit pricey but I thought the quality and taste was very good and there are a number of unique specialty items on the menu. Next time I go I will try their Montreal smoked meat or something from the New Orleans side of the menu.  The atmosphere is a bit like a sports bar, but that is the trend these days. I thought that because there were few patrons, they could have turned the volume down a bit. The service was friendly and very good.

Beyond this post being a restaurant revue, I must say that I look forward to these dinners which happen five times a year. I hope it is a tradition we can keep.

My Sis

 

I cannot say how much I have appreciated having my little sister Chris stay with us during the last days of my dad's life, and through the funeral planning process. She was right there, giving support, ideas, and carrying out tasks without hesitation. Last Sunday we really needed a stress releaser so we went for a walk/hike together with my daughter's family to Downes Bowl.

Feeling Nostalgic

 

I had a yen to go through some old photos last night and stopped at this one. I will tell you why in a minute.

 

This is my family, me on the far right, my mom and dad, and my four sisters. The year is 1964. My dad had just sold his business and after a big household goods auction sale, packed up the three youngest sisters and he and mom were on their way to their new home in BC. My oldest sister (far left) and me were attending a private boarding school a short drive from this location, my uncle's  farm near Osler, Saskatchewan. We would stay and finish the school year there and come later to BC. It was an exciting time, a big adventure and the start of a new life for all of us.

 

Why this photo now? There is one other person on the photo, an interloper. He is the little duffer with the great tan and the short haircut leaning against my dad's brand new 1964 Chrysler, just like his big cousin Terry. He is coming to my house for a visit next weekend. He's a big tough guy now and I will not mind a bit if he leans on my car.

Trombone Debut

 

My middle grandson Chad is now in Middle School and had the option to choose an instrument and join the band program. His dad still had his trombone from his school days so it was a bit of a no-brainer. Like father, like son. He has been practicing diligently and tonight was his debut as he played in the grade six band at his school's Christmas Concert.

Of course, he was the best looking kid of the whole bunch and he just might have been the best trombonist. It was difficult to tell though as there were many others playing instruments for the first time. With the exception of a few squeaking flutes and the odd grating clarinet, the kids did a great job. If I listened really closely, I could hear one trombone standing out above the rest, sounding like a young man with a musical future. Hmm. Could it have been Chad? I will have to get him to play me a solo so I will know for sure. I will get back to you on that.

Money Management

 

I just re-read yesterday's post and realized I must have been very tired when I wrote it. Amazing what a weekend will do! I am taking Monday off too, so that will put me in an even better frame of mind.

 

My father taught me many things, and when I was a kid it was drilled into me to be careful with money, always save some if it, do not spend foolishly, and never spend your last dollar. These early lessons have stuck with me, and so has my father.

He is now 90 years old and is in many ways reverting back to simple, child-like ways. There is much evidence for this, and yet, I still see him as my father, a bit of an authority figure, and someone who still exemplifies those things that he taught me.

 

When I was a child, I would, on occasion, ask him for money. Now, he is asking me for money. I am telling him that there is no place to spend it in the care home. He counters with the fact that he has not had any cash in his pocket for many months now. "How would you feel if you had no money for six  months?" he tells me. If I give him money, it will disappear, unaccounted for and end up either in the laundry or in some resident's or care worker's pocket, when they find it lying around.

I cannot get it through to him that this does not work, and yet he is persistent. I have a difficult time treating my dad like a kid, and yet I have to reprimand him and deny him as if he were one. This is different than teaching your child. Your child will learn a lesson for the betterment of his future, your aging parent will just carry resentment as the problem worsens.   

A Ticklish Situation

 

Two of my three grandsons are touchy feely guys who love to be stroked and tickled. They sometimes compete for the best position under Granddad's fingers. I have two hands so I can do two at a time. They are like putty when under my spell, as you can see.

 

Liam was half ways ready for bed when he needed me to draw a race car on his back but because I was busy with Chad, he had to create another layer of grandsons without getting Chad too upset. This was his idea of solving the problem. He is very creative in getting his way.  

Lots'a fun!  

Strongman (?) Champ

 

My niece, Carly, is a most remarkable woman. Her father never had a son, but had four daughters. That did not stop him from bringing out the characteristics in his children that he admired, that of strength, endurance, and competitiveness. Carly excels at all three. Her career is truck (big rig) driving. Her second job is being one of only three female firefighters in the Abbotsford Fire Department. Her other passions in life are working out, riding her bicycle great distances when she is not driving or fighting fires, and now competing in Strongman competitions. Her theme in life is that anything a guy can do, she can do better. 

 

She entered her second Strongman/Strongwoman competition in Kamloops this summer and this is a snapshot of what she did there.

 

 

 

 

 

Flipping a monster tire to the finish line

 

 

 

Pressing weights

 

Pulling big pick-up trucks

 

Lifting more weights

 

Hauling more weights

 

Using her shoulders

 

And grinning from ear to ear when she achieves first place in her division

 

She can stand proud among the strongest people in BC

 

Did I mention that she is intelligent, friendly, funny, and has the sweetest personality? Just don't challenge her to a bike race. She will humiliate you.

A Special Day?

A very old tree house near Nighthawk Wa. that my grandsons would love.  

 

I don't know how she does it, but busylizzy always seems to know what special day it is. I think she owns shares in Carlton Cards. They are the inventors of these days, all for the intent purpose of getting people to buy cards.

Apparently, yesterday was "Grandparent's Day". This should be common knowledge for all grandchildren, but apparently it is not. We did not hear "boo" from our grandsons, and busylizzy's parents did not hear "boo" from even one of their 16 grandchildren, or 18 great grandchildren. What to do? We had her parents in and celebrated Grandparents day without any of our grand kids. That should teach them a lesson.

A Trip With a Purpose

 

I decided, at the last minute, to take a quick trip to Vernon, on Friday, to attend the memorial service of my Aunt Eva. My sister came with me. I met four cousins who I had not seen since the late sixties! It was their mom who had passed away at age 94. It was a small affair, in a lovely facility called Bethel Chapel.

There were tributes and memories, all recounting what a wonderful woman my aunt was. And that was certainly my memory too. She was a gracious and generous person, always wearing a smile and having a positive word of encouragement. And, she was my own mother's soul mate, a very dear friend and confidant while their husbands schemed and dreamed some very large projects that did not pan out. Her solid faith was the cornerstone of her life and it was quite evident in all that transpired at the memorial.

She has left a wonderful and lasting legacy with her family, and many wonderful memories that will endure. It was made abundantly clear that there will be a re-union one day.

 

It was a trip well worth the taking.

90th Birthday Celebration

We didn't quite get the whole family out, but there were certainly enough of us in attendance to sing "Happy Birthday" and eat a huge slab of Tuxedo Cake. There were only three of my dad's grandchildren, and their little families, that could not make it. We had a big BBQ on Saturday at my youngest sister's farm and on Sunday we met at the old folks home and give my dad a little thrill. He had not seen some of these people for a very long time.

He has not been doing well in the last few weeks so we were fortunate that he was able to spend enough time out of bed to come and greet us all.

In the above photo, I am with two of my sisters, both from Victoria.

Below is the whole gang at the BBQ.

Double Double

The guests had all arrived and it was time to wake the sleepy Lion from his nap. And then, a big warm hug from mom.

 Time for celebration. Keith and Chad have birthdays so close that it worked best to have a double celebration, especially because Chad's mom was under the weather and had just put Nate's big sleepover party behind her the night before. The flares were just at their last sparks when I got this photo in, Father and Son, sharing a birthday and a beautiful Lemon Cheesecake.

Chad getting a big hug from Uncle Murray.

Proud to be eleven years old.

'Best buds' for life.

Happy Birthday Chad and Keith. We love you both very much!

Doing Just Fine, Thanks

On one of my rare trips to Facebook, I discovered this photo posted by my cousin who is the son of my Uncle on the left. Forgive me for 'borrowing' this photo, Glenn, but I just had to post this. These are three of my dad's 4 older siblings at my uncle's birthday party.  My dad is turning 90 in July.

Menno 95, Eva 93, and Marie 97.

You will never meet 4 perkier, more 'with it' ederly people in your life.

I Forget Why

busylizzy checking out the stash in the bag.

We saw a fellow bending over and snipping while we were walking in the park the other day. When he straightened out we saw it was busylizzy's uncle. He was clipping the small tender shoots of Stinging Nettle and putting them in a plastic bag. We greeted him and he did not know at first who we were. Maybe he still doesn't. We asked him why he was collecting the small plants and he gave us a blank stare for a few seconds.

"To make tea", was his reply.

"Why?"

After a long pause, "My brain needs help, it is getting old"

"What will this tea do for your brain?"

Another long pause and then, "It will help me remember."

"What is it that you need to remember?"

"To take the tea. Yes, the tea will help me to remember. If I cannot remember, then it is called ....... what do you call it....."

"Alzheimer's?"

"Yes, and it helps with joints and my wife's cousin had terrible headaches and when he took the tea, they went away completely"

"Have a nice day and don't forget to make the tea, and then don't forget to drink it"

He looked at me like he was not quite sure what I was talking about.

At least that is the way I remember it.

Surprise!

busylizzy and I decided to travel down to the USA to do a bit of cross border shopping yesterday. We made five stops altogether and made some, or should I say, saved some money on a number of purchases. Every few years we go into the big mall called Bellis Fair. We bought nothing there as no store had exactly what we were looking for, but we did make an amazing discovery while wandering the lanes between the stores. There, off to one side, sitting on a walker, was a beautiful elderly white haired lady. And for goodness sakes, it was my ninety two year old Aunt, just sitting there looking really perky. Of course, we stopped and greeted her and she told us she was there with her daughter.

Her daughter, my cousin, lives in Korea and I have not seen her in years. And there, suddenly, she appeared. Well, we had a reunion. She had with her, her own daughter and two of her daughter's seven children. As it turns out, my cousin, who is almost exactly my age, has 21 grandchildren!

We would like to have stayed right there, plugging up the aisles and annoying the other shoppers while we chatted away, but they had to run off to a rendezvous with other family members. They were all meeting at the  "Old Country Buffet" at the other end of the mall. We said our goodbyes and watched as the 60 something cousin, the 30 something daughter, and the two kids, 7 and 4, hustled like crazy to keep up with the 92 year old. She is feisty and knows how to motor. Well, that just made my day and was even better than the big chocolate ice-cream soft serve I had at Ed-Aileen's dairy on the way home.  

Wasn't That a Party?

Nathan's 14th birthday party started off with games. Nathan and his grandma competed to see who could roll a marble to a marked spot on a tennis racket. Not as easy as it looks.

Then Grandpa and his daughter-in-law competed in a cut out puzzle made from an old cereal box. These were all one minute competitions.

Uncle Murray and Uncle Andrew tried to toss four golf balls into a bucket using only two fingers and an elastic band.

Nana and Nathan flipped as many pennies as they could into a bucket. Only one minute!

Nathan and Uncle Murray found out who could balance ten books on their head first, one at a time.

Chad and Nathan had to fold and fly a paper airplane in one minute, and with only one hand.

Then Andrew and Murray tried it and Andrew got his flying first, but with only a second left on the clock, Murray flung his and it went further.

Everybody got a great prize when it was time to eat.

And, as you saw in yesterday's post, there was a 'melt in your mouth' triple chocolate cheesecake with candles. Nathan knows how to pick 'em and his mom knows how to bake 'em. Everything was delicious!  

Gifts galore!

Post party activity was this 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle. So addictive!

After a most delightful evening, we had to haul Nana off to bed. As you can tell, the party made her very tired. Liam, a regular party animal, would go on a little longer yet.

So who is having a party next week? Can we come?