Here in the Rural Municipality of Whitewater we do have an Economic Development Board of which I am but one member. We call ourselves the Whitewater community economic development Board or for short WCEDO.
What have we been up to? A lot actually, here is a snap shot of what we have done.
Housing has been a top priority and there are maps and lots for sale in all three communities and all at reasonable prices. If you visit the RM web site, you can get a good idea of what is what. The website is whitewat@mts.net. We have had a great deal of interest in the lots and have had new people move into the area. Imagine designing how your new lot will look, as it will be like a clean slate and a fresh palette for your own ideas of landscaping, of what you want your yard to look like. Lots are connected to water and sewer, in fact, you can choose where you want to have the lines put.
We were at the Brandon Home Show and it was a great way to let everyone know about what we have and is available to you should you choose to come to live here. It's something that we are planning to do again in the spring.
The group had a Food and Rural initiative and it was very successful and well attended. If you have a business idea you would like to pursue be sure to contact the RM of Whitewater for information and help.
The Farmers market did not have enough interest but please keep it in mind for next year and let one of us know if you are interested in joining.
We are looking for people to join our group and to help us plan for the future of the RM of Whitewater. It isn't out of bounds to see in the future of this RM joining forces with another RM, so let's pull together to prevent it. Investors are needed to help bring people into the area. We are looking into investing into a house to start the process of getting people to move here.
This communiy wants to get high speed internet and MTS is dragging it's feet in getting it to us. Lets all get on the band wagon (so to speak) and let MTS know that we want it in this area. It's all around us, why not here.
I need to go, it's almost time for me to go for my physio treatment for my legs, but I will be putting more on here soon, keep in touch.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Life can be full of crap
Like I said in my title, life can be full of crap. These past couple of months have been just that. It seemed like most of the times I was feeling down. I was told this was normal, well if that is normal, then what the world will I feel like when things righten themselves.
I miss the old fart terribly, and yes I called Ron that at times when he was living, so I don't feel bad about calling him that now. I find that when I miss him the most is when I am driving the car. He was the worst back seat driver in all of Canada I think. He could take a competent driver and turn that driver into a sniveling sobbing idiot. There are those people out there that knew him and can attest to that fact.
The Elgin Lions had a successful Valentine dance last night, It was super and it was fun. Yup, I won a prize too and believe it or not, it was something I could really use. We have a real fun club here in our little village and the members work hard and have fun at the same time.
I really am missing someone to chat with on here, I know you read me, but how about leaving a blog yourselves.
I miss the old fart terribly, and yes I called Ron that at times when he was living, so I don't feel bad about calling him that now. I find that when I miss him the most is when I am driving the car. He was the worst back seat driver in all of Canada I think. He could take a competent driver and turn that driver into a sniveling sobbing idiot. There are those people out there that knew him and can attest to that fact.
The Elgin Lions had a successful Valentine dance last night, It was super and it was fun. Yup, I won a prize too and believe it or not, it was something I could really use. We have a real fun club here in our little village and the members work hard and have fun at the same time.
I really am missing someone to chat with on here, I know you read me, but how about leaving a blog yourselves.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Christmas
For the last three years, Ron and I had been planning to go to High Prairie Alberta to be with our son Marvin for a visit. This year I made it, not with Ron, but he is here in spirit with us. Another great present this year was when I was notified that my brother in law's cancer could possibly be erased or what ever it is they call it.
I left from Brandon on the grey hound bus at 12:00 noon on the 22 and ended up at Edmonton at 5:30 in the morning. Thank goodness Marvin was waiting for me. It was the longest trip I had ever taken by bus. That does not mean that I didn't enjoy it, I certainly did, but my butt already in pain before I left was in serious condition by the time I got there.
A complicated trip I have been thinking. From Brandon we journyed trough the Riding Mountain National Park where the bus I was riding on had a car ram it. I don't know if the guy had stopped at the stop sign. I was watching a deer on the hill beside the bus and something made me look to the other side and to my horror I watch this car drive on to the road right in front of the bus. That poor car sure had the side of it wiped out. The bus's headlights were smashed and the windshield was cracked. Fun Fun fun. We arrived in Yorkton about 3/4 of an hour late. No stop over there.
From there we had to go to Saskatoon and change buses again. Lordy lordy. This time the bus brought me right into Edmonton. I know now how to pack when riding the bus. So going back I am going to have less to take me on the bus. The battery in the laptop does not last the whole journey, so I am not even going to try and watch a movie and when there is someone else in the seat beside me there is not room to pulll it out to use. I'll just back to the good old standbye, a book. 22 hours sitting is not good either so every chance I got I stood and stretched. Naturally some of the riders thought I was weird from the looks I received. Oh well, who cares about that, this was me, not them.
My son is a darling, and he treats me like a queen, how much more can a humbled person (such as me) take. I am going to lap every bit of it up. His place is neat although a bit cool, but I can take it.
We did a bit of shopping at Staples. they had some great sales on. Terrific ones in fact. Then we went to Candis place where we had something to eat and I met her three boys. Sweet, ambuncious and so tidy, made me think back to my boys who were so messy.
I left from Brandon on the grey hound bus at 12:00 noon on the 22 and ended up at Edmonton at 5:30 in the morning. Thank goodness Marvin was waiting for me. It was the longest trip I had ever taken by bus. That does not mean that I didn't enjoy it, I certainly did, but my butt already in pain before I left was in serious condition by the time I got there.
A complicated trip I have been thinking. From Brandon we journyed trough the Riding Mountain National Park where the bus I was riding on had a car ram it. I don't know if the guy had stopped at the stop sign. I was watching a deer on the hill beside the bus and something made me look to the other side and to my horror I watch this car drive on to the road right in front of the bus. That poor car sure had the side of it wiped out. The bus's headlights were smashed and the windshield was cracked. Fun Fun fun. We arrived in Yorkton about 3/4 of an hour late. No stop over there.
From there we had to go to Saskatoon and change buses again. Lordy lordy. This time the bus brought me right into Edmonton. I know now how to pack when riding the bus. So going back I am going to have less to take me on the bus. The battery in the laptop does not last the whole journey, so I am not even going to try and watch a movie and when there is someone else in the seat beside me there is not room to pulll it out to use. I'll just back to the good old standbye, a book. 22 hours sitting is not good either so every chance I got I stood and stretched. Naturally some of the riders thought I was weird from the looks I received. Oh well, who cares about that, this was me, not them.
My son is a darling, and he treats me like a queen, how much more can a humbled person (such as me) take. I am going to lap every bit of it up. His place is neat although a bit cool, but I can take it.
We did a bit of shopping at Staples. they had some great sales on. Terrific ones in fact. Then we went to Candis place where we had something to eat and I met her three boys. Sweet, ambuncious and so tidy, made me think back to my boys who were so messy.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Farm Work
Living on the farm we had a lot of chores to do as there more than one or two persons could handle. I know that quite a few of you lived in either the city or in a town or village and perhaps didn't have a whole lot of chores.
One such chore that fell on my shoulders was cleaning out the chicken house. Every Saturday I had to clean that pesky old chicken house or the hen house as my mother used to call it. The chickens cackled and fluttered and made a wild dash for the outdoors. Our chickens were what they would now a days call free range chickens. Well in those younger years of mine, it was only natural that chickens be outside, feeding themselves with what ever they could find. At night we chased them all inside to keep them from any predators that might be slinking around. It was done so often, those chickens knew what to do and where to go. Brown eggs were a norm on the farm. Dark egg yokes were frequent and when that happened, we knew the hen had been outside eating the grass.
Chickens are cannibals, they will eat anything, their just like goats in a way, if they can eat it they will. Chickens will eat other chickens if left to their own devices. Mom and Dad used to buy a lot of oyster shells for them to keep the egg shells hard, if the shells were soft, it simply meant the chickens were not getting enough calcium.
During the day chicken hawks, (as we used to call them) frequented the barn yard. Quite often when we went out to the barn yard, there would be a hawk or two flying around. Every once in a while, as I was cleaning that stinky old hen house, one would try and enter into the building, pesky things they were.
Chicken manure is worse than cow or pig as far as I am concerned. The ammonia is much stronger and besides that, there were little tiny red mites that you had to be careful of. It seemed that these mites were quite common with chickens. Mom or Dad would spray the chicken house every once in a while to kill those mites. Scrape, shovel and load on the wheel barrow, carry it over to where ever it was that I was suppose to take it, sometimes there were six or seven loads to take. Not an easy job. Today it would poop me out with the shovelling, never mind pushing the wheelbarrow.
There were roosters among those chickens, and I loved to tease them. Along with the roosters, there were ganders, drakes and goats. With time on our hands, mine in particular, I would try and imitate these creatures. I actually didn't do to bad in that area as those poor creatures used to chase me around the farm yard when I did it. Every so often though they would get the best of me. In that event, up onto the top of what was called the tractor shed I would scramble out of there angry clutches. My mother had to rescue me a number of times from up there. If she only knew why I was up there in the first place she would have probably told me to stay up there as it was my own fault and figure out how to get down or give me a "talking to" as she would have put it.
Now that billy goat was another matter, he didn't like me milking the nanny goat and I didn't like milking her either. Have you ever tried to milk a nanny goat? You had to milk her from her rear, not from the side. It was actually real funny to watch mother milk her Mother usually did the milking as that old goat never bothered her. (You had to know my mother) It got where Mother had to milk the nanny because when that old billy goat saw any of us kids try to milk her he got quite upset, which is where we landed trying to get away from him. I don't even remember why we had goats in the first place.
I loved teasing the chickens, I would softly cluck at them when picking the eggs and those hens would answer back.
There was a trick to gathering eggs, you had to move slow, be gentle and talk quietly. Hens don't like noise or sudden movements. You slid your hand underneath the chicken from behind to get the eggs. If you did it from any other direction or did it fast she became quite upset. If the chicken started clucking, (her clucking was different from normal tones ) you knew she was sitting on a clutch of eggs getting ready to hatch them. She was then called a brooder. hatching her own eggs. Once in a while you saw that old rooster strutting his stuff and you knew a poor hen would be getting hit on. That hen usually became a brooder.
Now as I mentioned there were other creatures on the farm and that old gander really didn't like me at all. He took quite an offence with me trying to imitate him. So between the rooster, the goat and the gander, guess where I was quite a bit of the time. Yup, on the tractor shed roof. Let me tell you a bite from the gander hurts worse than a peck from the rooster.
We all learned how to make our chores fun and we would make games up to see who could finish first or make other games of the chores. I think back to those days and at times, wish I had the freedom I had then. I can certainly attest to that fact, even though I complained, bitterly at times, of the chores that we kids had to do. Really, in the long run, it didn't hurt us one bit. It taught us responsibility.
One such chore that fell on my shoulders was cleaning out the chicken house. Every Saturday I had to clean that pesky old chicken house or the hen house as my mother used to call it. The chickens cackled and fluttered and made a wild dash for the outdoors. Our chickens were what they would now a days call free range chickens. Well in those younger years of mine, it was only natural that chickens be outside, feeding themselves with what ever they could find. At night we chased them all inside to keep them from any predators that might be slinking around. It was done so often, those chickens knew what to do and where to go. Brown eggs were a norm on the farm. Dark egg yokes were frequent and when that happened, we knew the hen had been outside eating the grass.
Chickens are cannibals, they will eat anything, their just like goats in a way, if they can eat it they will. Chickens will eat other chickens if left to their own devices. Mom and Dad used to buy a lot of oyster shells for them to keep the egg shells hard, if the shells were soft, it simply meant the chickens were not getting enough calcium.
During the day chicken hawks, (as we used to call them) frequented the barn yard. Quite often when we went out to the barn yard, there would be a hawk or two flying around. Every once in a while, as I was cleaning that stinky old hen house, one would try and enter into the building, pesky things they were.
Chicken manure is worse than cow or pig as far as I am concerned. The ammonia is much stronger and besides that, there were little tiny red mites that you had to be careful of. It seemed that these mites were quite common with chickens. Mom or Dad would spray the chicken house every once in a while to kill those mites. Scrape, shovel and load on the wheel barrow, carry it over to where ever it was that I was suppose to take it, sometimes there were six or seven loads to take. Not an easy job. Today it would poop me out with the shovelling, never mind pushing the wheelbarrow.
There were roosters among those chickens, and I loved to tease them. Along with the roosters, there were ganders, drakes and goats. With time on our hands, mine in particular, I would try and imitate these creatures. I actually didn't do to bad in that area as those poor creatures used to chase me around the farm yard when I did it. Every so often though they would get the best of me. In that event, up onto the top of what was called the tractor shed I would scramble out of there angry clutches. My mother had to rescue me a number of times from up there. If she only knew why I was up there in the first place she would have probably told me to stay up there as it was my own fault and figure out how to get down or give me a "talking to" as she would have put it.
Now that billy goat was another matter, he didn't like me milking the nanny goat and I didn't like milking her either. Have you ever tried to milk a nanny goat? You had to milk her from her rear, not from the side. It was actually real funny to watch mother milk her Mother usually did the milking as that old goat never bothered her. (You had to know my mother) It got where Mother had to milk the nanny because when that old billy goat saw any of us kids try to milk her he got quite upset, which is where we landed trying to get away from him. I don't even remember why we had goats in the first place.
I loved teasing the chickens, I would softly cluck at them when picking the eggs and those hens would answer back.
There was a trick to gathering eggs, you had to move slow, be gentle and talk quietly. Hens don't like noise or sudden movements. You slid your hand underneath the chicken from behind to get the eggs. If you did it from any other direction or did it fast she became quite upset. If the chicken started clucking, (her clucking was different from normal tones ) you knew she was sitting on a clutch of eggs getting ready to hatch them. She was then called a brooder. hatching her own eggs. Once in a while you saw that old rooster strutting his stuff and you knew a poor hen would be getting hit on. That hen usually became a brooder.
Now as I mentioned there were other creatures on the farm and that old gander really didn't like me at all. He took quite an offence with me trying to imitate him. So between the rooster, the goat and the gander, guess where I was quite a bit of the time. Yup, on the tractor shed roof. Let me tell you a bite from the gander hurts worse than a peck from the rooster.
We all learned how to make our chores fun and we would make games up to see who could finish first or make other games of the chores. I think back to those days and at times, wish I had the freedom I had then. I can certainly attest to that fact, even though I complained, bitterly at times, of the chores that we kids had to do. Really, in the long run, it didn't hurt us one bit. It taught us responsibility.
Monday, October 11, 2010
The Past
The family had Thanksgiving on Sunday this year over at my son's place. It was hard for me being there, as I sure missed Ron at this occasion. This brings back some memories about long ago. 64 years in fact. Even before I was married.
The family was talking about when they first started school as there were some little ones there and about how soon they would be starting school. In fact, a 4 year old is in nursery school. Well I never attended nursery school or even kindergarten but I did start school when I was 4 years old. Gowancroft school in 1946 was in danger of folding as there were not enough children to keep it open. Or it was thought that it couldn't be kept open. The solution was that I would start school at the tender age of 4, straight into grade one. How well I still remember that first day of school.
Front seat, side row, terrified out of my tree. The teacher kept looking at me and it took me a few years to understand that she didn't have a clue as to what she could teach me at that age. She ended up giving me pictures to colour and to cut out. I believe that's how I spent my first day at school. Sure learned at lot.
As time went on I learned to print and count numbers. Years past and I ended up doing grade 4 or grade 6, (it was one or the other) another year, in order to put me into the right "grade". But I never really did great in school. My spelling started out with 100% and each time I write an exam my grade slowly kept coming down. Art was another topic we did and the teacher told me my imagination was putting too much into the pictures I was drawing. I had to learn to do just what was wanted and no more. How I struggled with that.
School was hard for me, I struggled throughout my school years just to make a 50% grade. It sure was different in college though. I did much better then. I finished my grade ten (10) and then I went in for LPN. I did graduate but didn't pass the grade, so go figure out how I could graduate and not make it as an LPN. From there, I did a lot of being a waitress as well as worked in a private nursing home.
I met my husband while I was taking my training, but it was a good year later when I met him again and then we became engaged. One of the best decisions of my life. He was one of a kind. About twelve years or so after we were married, both of went and received our G.E.D.
Three children later, I returned to college and took secretarial and was offered a job in the Provincial Building. I have learned many skills during my life time. Let's start from the beginning.
1. Took the LPN training
2. Nursing home (private) in Killarney
3. Waitress in Killarney
4. Worked in the laundry in Winnipeg on the irons
5. Hostess for Champs or what is known as Kentucky Fried Chicken now a days on Maryland Ave.
6. Worked as waitress in Maryland Hotel, Westward Hotel, and the Village Inn.
7. Went to work at the Souris hotel restaurant and then in the bar (so I could have Sundays off to be with the family.)
8. Joined Toastmistress, (was also called International Training in Communication and is now known as Power Talk)
9. Learned leadership skills, speaking in public, and much more.
10. Wrote and took pictures for the Brandon Sun for both feature and news articles.
11. Wrote local column for local papers, Souris Plaindealer, Boissevain Recorder and at that time, the Deloraine Star.
12. Generations (an insert of the Brandon Sun)
13. Grain News, wrote feature stories and photographs.
14. Wrote and had published numerous poems taking second place in a couple of places.
15. Did a demo record with my song.
16. Spoke at numerous places
17. At ITC (International Training in Communication) club level, I held President, secretary, treasurer, Vice president and numerous committee chairs.
18. At Council level I also held President and Secretary positions and numerous committee chairs.
a) Speech Contest
b) Writing Contest
c) Accreditation Chair
d) Membership Chair
c) and more
19. Sat on the Village of Elgin Village Board
20. Resource Coordinator for a Senior Group
21. Sitting on the Assiniboine Regional Health Board District Advisory Committee (15 year member)
22. Sitting on the board for the local Economic Development Board.
23. Marriage Commissioner (performs weddings)
24. Telemarketer
25. Sales
26. Raised three children, one who is hearing impaired, grandmother of seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
27. Driven a school bus
28. Moderately proficient on the computer.
29. Volunteer for the Elgin and Area Lions
a) President, vice, secretary and committee chairs.
30. Zone chair for the 5m13 Lions of which Elgin club is a member.
31. Was with the Legion Ladies Auxiliary and held officer position.
32. Was zone chair for the Legion Ladies Auxiliary for 2 years as well as zone secretary for 2 years.
33. For hobbies I used to collect stamps, now it's lapel pins and buttons.
34. What kind I say after 68 years of living, of course there is more here than meets the eye.
Now I am retired and cleaning out the house, I certainly don't need all this stuff I have here around me. Time to clean it out. Anyone for yard sales or auctions?
The family was talking about when they first started school as there were some little ones there and about how soon they would be starting school. In fact, a 4 year old is in nursery school. Well I never attended nursery school or even kindergarten but I did start school when I was 4 years old. Gowancroft school in 1946 was in danger of folding as there were not enough children to keep it open. Or it was thought that it couldn't be kept open. The solution was that I would start school at the tender age of 4, straight into grade one. How well I still remember that first day of school.
Front seat, side row, terrified out of my tree. The teacher kept looking at me and it took me a few years to understand that she didn't have a clue as to what she could teach me at that age. She ended up giving me pictures to colour and to cut out. I believe that's how I spent my first day at school. Sure learned at lot.
As time went on I learned to print and count numbers. Years past and I ended up doing grade 4 or grade 6, (it was one or the other) another year, in order to put me into the right "grade". But I never really did great in school. My spelling started out with 100% and each time I write an exam my grade slowly kept coming down. Art was another topic we did and the teacher told me my imagination was putting too much into the pictures I was drawing. I had to learn to do just what was wanted and no more. How I struggled with that.
School was hard for me, I struggled throughout my school years just to make a 50% grade. It sure was different in college though. I did much better then. I finished my grade ten (10) and then I went in for LPN. I did graduate but didn't pass the grade, so go figure out how I could graduate and not make it as an LPN. From there, I did a lot of being a waitress as well as worked in a private nursing home.
I met my husband while I was taking my training, but it was a good year later when I met him again and then we became engaged. One of the best decisions of my life. He was one of a kind. About twelve years or so after we were married, both of went and received our G.E.D.
Three children later, I returned to college and took secretarial and was offered a job in the Provincial Building. I have learned many skills during my life time. Let's start from the beginning.
1. Took the LPN training
2. Nursing home (private) in Killarney
3. Waitress in Killarney
4. Worked in the laundry in Winnipeg on the irons
5. Hostess for Champs or what is known as Kentucky Fried Chicken now a days on Maryland Ave.
6. Worked as waitress in Maryland Hotel, Westward Hotel, and the Village Inn.
7. Went to work at the Souris hotel restaurant and then in the bar (so I could have Sundays off to be with the family.)
8. Joined Toastmistress, (was also called International Training in Communication and is now known as Power Talk)
9. Learned leadership skills, speaking in public, and much more.
10. Wrote and took pictures for the Brandon Sun for both feature and news articles.
11. Wrote local column for local papers, Souris Plaindealer, Boissevain Recorder and at that time, the Deloraine Star.
12. Generations (an insert of the Brandon Sun)
13. Grain News, wrote feature stories and photographs.
14. Wrote and had published numerous poems taking second place in a couple of places.
15. Did a demo record with my song.
16. Spoke at numerous places
17. At ITC (International Training in Communication) club level, I held President, secretary, treasurer, Vice president and numerous committee chairs.
18. At Council level I also held President and Secretary positions and numerous committee chairs.
a) Speech Contest
b) Writing Contest
c) Accreditation Chair
d) Membership Chair
c) and more
19. Sat on the Village of Elgin Village Board
20. Resource Coordinator for a Senior Group
21. Sitting on the Assiniboine Regional Health Board District Advisory Committee (15 year member)
22. Sitting on the board for the local Economic Development Board.
23. Marriage Commissioner (performs weddings)
24. Telemarketer
25. Sales
26. Raised three children, one who is hearing impaired, grandmother of seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
27. Driven a school bus
28. Moderately proficient on the computer.
29. Volunteer for the Elgin and Area Lions
a) President, vice, secretary and committee chairs.
30. Zone chair for the 5m13 Lions of which Elgin club is a member.
31. Was with the Legion Ladies Auxiliary and held officer position.
32. Was zone chair for the Legion Ladies Auxiliary for 2 years as well as zone secretary for 2 years.
33. For hobbies I used to collect stamps, now it's lapel pins and buttons.
34. What kind I say after 68 years of living, of course there is more here than meets the eye.
Now I am retired and cleaning out the house, I certainly don't need all this stuff I have here around me. Time to clean it out. Anyone for yard sales or auctions?
Sunday, September 26, 2010
The Old Ice House
It was funny and yet it was serious, at least at the time it all happened. It concerned the old ice house with the big earthen pit and the huge bricks of ice that were occasionally put down in the hole to keep everything cool. We didn't have a fridge as of yet in the house and the put was used to keep the dairy products, meat and other perishable items from spoiling. In the summer time, we children used to use the building as a play area.
Mother and Father used to ship cream in cream cans and it was here that the cream as well as the eggs were kept until it was time to ship it all to the creamery and wherever it was the eggs went. Well, somehow or the other, the door of the building had been kept open or he had dug his way in into the pit below the building. I suppose the skunk fell into the pit and couldn't get back out, but there is was busy feasting on the food that was down there.
When my father went out to the ice house to get our morning supply of cream, milk and butter, a bellow erupted from the interior of the ice house. a lively and heated discussion took place as to who was to blame, but the fact still stood that the skunk was down in the ice house pit and we were out of our dairy products for breakfast and a few days after.
Dad decided the only was to get the animal out of the pit was to shoot it. I could never figure out why he just didn't trap it. My mother was quite adamant that he not shoot the creature as it ruin the put when he did. In the end and after a period of waiting to see if the slunk would vacate, Dad shot it.
It was weeks before the pit was cleared and his clothing were irretrievable. It was soon after this that a brand new refrigerator was sitting in the corner of the kitchen.
That's all for today. Enjoy.
Mother and Father used to ship cream in cream cans and it was here that the cream as well as the eggs were kept until it was time to ship it all to the creamery and wherever it was the eggs went. Well, somehow or the other, the door of the building had been kept open or he had dug his way in into the pit below the building. I suppose the skunk fell into the pit and couldn't get back out, but there is was busy feasting on the food that was down there.
When my father went out to the ice house to get our morning supply of cream, milk and butter, a bellow erupted from the interior of the ice house. a lively and heated discussion took place as to who was to blame, but the fact still stood that the skunk was down in the ice house pit and we were out of our dairy products for breakfast and a few days after.
Dad decided the only was to get the animal out of the pit was to shoot it. I could never figure out why he just didn't trap it. My mother was quite adamant that he not shoot the creature as it ruin the put when he did. In the end and after a period of waiting to see if the slunk would vacate, Dad shot it.
It was weeks before the pit was cleared and his clothing were irretrievable. It was soon after this that a brand new refrigerator was sitting in the corner of the kitchen.
That's all for today. Enjoy.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Going To Grandma and Grandpa's
Once a month the family would gather at my Grandparent's home in La Riviere Manitoba. We would all gather there and have lively gab fests and terrific meals.
Each family had to bring an item or two to eat, as these meals were pot luck within a certain limit. I remember my mother and her sisters and my grandmother, discussing what each would bring for the next meal. This way the burden of feeding over 20 people at one time did not fall on just one persons shoulder.
My older sister, Yvonne remembers far more than I do on these trips but I will mention what I remember. I will leave her memories to herself. The earliest one I really remember is the year in which my Grandfather died. I was 8 years old at the time, (I checked back on the family tree for this). I remember thinking how cold his hands were, as he was in bed and apparently he didn't last too much longer after this. My parents insisted that I say hello and goodbye to my grandfather. To this day, all I can really remember were his cold hands.
In July of 1950 when grandfather died, my mother was with grandmother helping to look after him. She was on her way home when the steering wheel shaft broke or came undone, don't know which now, and she landed in the ditch. She was not hurt, but had some bruises and scratches. Someone was following her to tell her that her dad had died. It was definitely not a good day for my Mother. A person couldn't drive very fast in those old cars. She was driving one that was much older than the 50's.
Thereafter, as I mentioned, once a month we descended on my grandmothers' house. As I grew older and into my teens, my cousin and I would walk the sidewalks hoping to find boys. Alas we found none.
One time we went there after a tornado had hit the area. It was awful, sheep were stuck up in trees that had been bent and broken. Animal parts hung on the barb wired fence and machinery was upside down, and buildings were tossed far away from where they should have been. We learned first hand as to what a tornado can do. Another time, we walked the railroad track into La Riviere because there was a flood. The only time I remember # 3 highway was every flooded. As I crossed over the railway track I became terrified as I watched the roiling and boiling water down below me through the cracks in the tracks. Almost lost my shoes if I remember right.
Thinking back, those days at my grandmothers, drew all of the family closer together more than at any one time. After she moved into another home, we never did gather together and began loosing touch with everyone. There were over 20 over us that gathered together, swapping gossip and exchanging ideas and recipes and other tid bits. The language spoken was mainly french with the woman as that was what they spoke more easily than English. The men spoke English, as there was a mixture of Flemish and french and English among them. Mom and Dad used to argue with each other about speaking their other language instead of English as Dad nor Mom could barely understand each other's language. Wish they had taught us their language as we were growing up.
Meals were eaten in shifts with the men usually eating first. The the children in the second shift and the men were then suppose to look after the kids while the women ate and cleaned up. I never in all the times we went ever saw one of the men help with the clean up. They never knew what they missed during those cleanups after a meal. Now at a gathering, we feed the kids first to get them from under our feet.
Food was sumptuous and plentiful. Warm creamy mashed potatoes, roast beef or roast pork was served, or maybe it was chicken or a ham. Once in a while there was turkey to feast on. Butter drenched vegetables, just out of the garden or home canned, warm fresh home made bread or buns that had been kept warm in layers of towels on the way down. Desserts to dream about, from puddings to pies or maybe cakes that melted in your mouth.
I will continue this at a later date, as I have to go and licence this car so I have one to drive. Take care everyone and I will finish this another time.
Each family had to bring an item or two to eat, as these meals were pot luck within a certain limit. I remember my mother and her sisters and my grandmother, discussing what each would bring for the next meal. This way the burden of feeding over 20 people at one time did not fall on just one persons shoulder.
My older sister, Yvonne remembers far more than I do on these trips but I will mention what I remember. I will leave her memories to herself. The earliest one I really remember is the year in which my Grandfather died. I was 8 years old at the time, (I checked back on the family tree for this). I remember thinking how cold his hands were, as he was in bed and apparently he didn't last too much longer after this. My parents insisted that I say hello and goodbye to my grandfather. To this day, all I can really remember were his cold hands.
In July of 1950 when grandfather died, my mother was with grandmother helping to look after him. She was on her way home when the steering wheel shaft broke or came undone, don't know which now, and she landed in the ditch. She was not hurt, but had some bruises and scratches. Someone was following her to tell her that her dad had died. It was definitely not a good day for my Mother. A person couldn't drive very fast in those old cars. She was driving one that was much older than the 50's.
Thereafter, as I mentioned, once a month we descended on my grandmothers' house. As I grew older and into my teens, my cousin and I would walk the sidewalks hoping to find boys. Alas we found none.
One time we went there after a tornado had hit the area. It was awful, sheep were stuck up in trees that had been bent and broken. Animal parts hung on the barb wired fence and machinery was upside down, and buildings were tossed far away from where they should have been. We learned first hand as to what a tornado can do. Another time, we walked the railroad track into La Riviere because there was a flood. The only time I remember # 3 highway was every flooded. As I crossed over the railway track I became terrified as I watched the roiling and boiling water down below me through the cracks in the tracks. Almost lost my shoes if I remember right.
Thinking back, those days at my grandmothers, drew all of the family closer together more than at any one time. After she moved into another home, we never did gather together and began loosing touch with everyone. There were over 20 over us that gathered together, swapping gossip and exchanging ideas and recipes and other tid bits. The language spoken was mainly french with the woman as that was what they spoke more easily than English. The men spoke English, as there was a mixture of Flemish and french and English among them. Mom and Dad used to argue with each other about speaking their other language instead of English as Dad nor Mom could barely understand each other's language. Wish they had taught us their language as we were growing up.
Meals were eaten in shifts with the men usually eating first. The the children in the second shift and the men were then suppose to look after the kids while the women ate and cleaned up. I never in all the times we went ever saw one of the men help with the clean up. They never knew what they missed during those cleanups after a meal. Now at a gathering, we feed the kids first to get them from under our feet.
Food was sumptuous and plentiful. Warm creamy mashed potatoes, roast beef or roast pork was served, or maybe it was chicken or a ham. Once in a while there was turkey to feast on. Butter drenched vegetables, just out of the garden or home canned, warm fresh home made bread or buns that had been kept warm in layers of towels on the way down. Desserts to dream about, from puddings to pies or maybe cakes that melted in your mouth.
I will continue this at a later date, as I have to go and licence this car so I have one to drive. Take care everyone and I will finish this another time.
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