MM - What happens at Grandma's stays at Grandma's

OK. Not so much. I have to laud our visit on Monday Morning.
There are guests - and there is family. We had so much fun as a family! I had forgotten about the joys of a simple thing like a phone cord. MTM is quiet.

We are so grateful to have had our daughter (AKA - 'Mom') and granddaughter visit for 5 days. (We call her Mom because she is much tidier than I am. When she would come home on co-op placements she would reorganize the Tupperware drawer and when she leaves the cottage it is always much cleaner than when she found it!)

Then, our granddaughter was with us for two days while her parents went out to play with their friends. They went to a friend's wedding in another city. Such lovely young people, who share their dating, engagement, wedding, pregnancy and baby passages, as well as their baby clothes and toys!

Josephine, 18 months, loves to tidy, too. She helped me hang up yawny (laundry), and handed me the clothes pins, one after another. Then she counted them as she put them on the deck, and that was fun, too.

Her day care provider has taught her meh mou (thank you), and her MaMa taught her peas (please). She always pairs the sign for it, and uses it faithfully. We have a sign she uses for moh? (more?), which makes life easier, especially for those unfamiliar with baby talk or for the hard of hearing!

At this point, she cannot say /R/, or /L/, nor can she manage the more complicated /TH/, or /ST/ sounds. It makes life so much fun. Today, I walk into a room and see her kayon (crayon) and papuh (paper), or look out the door and hear her say 'sigh? (Can we go outside? peas, peas, and then attempt to put on her shoes.) I should tidy up, but it is lovely to see the artifacts of a great visit.

She is managing some two-word (telegraphic) sentences, Gampa, come! I had totally forgotten all this. After three children, and a B.A. in ECE, I certainly heard it, and studied speech and language development. I had made a cassette tape of my daughter's vocalizations as she grew up. Unfortunately, it was overdubbed and lost.

My husband said, "No wonder people have babies at an early age."

I am so tired. We played puzzles, and school bus -both purchased from local artisans at the Gravenhurst Market. Josephine named one passenger a 'man', another a 'lady', a baby was on board, too.

I had forgotten about diapers that seem to duplicate themselves in the dark. And the constant supervision. We have bugs, cats, stuff everywhere and a place suited to adults, not children. We were vigilant.

We took several walks 'side to see ducks, boats, trains. We spotted a hummer (hummingbird), and many bees (any and all bugs).

We found fower (flowers), sticks and a hatched spring peeper. I showed her the peeper tadpoles down in the frog pond. Their little arms and legs are so cute as they develop. She wanted to swim in the pond, I dissuaded her! (Both cold and muddy!)

The train (over and beyond in the forest) was out of sight. But she was pretending to pull the whistle, "Woo-woo!", recognizing the sound.

By the end of the 5 days she learned to name the cats: Manee (Mitzi), Say-ee (Sady), and Awiveuh (Oliver). Oliver accompanied us into our trip in the back in the garage. (He is always hopeful for food.)

What is really great is that MaMa and PaPa had taught Josephine the concept of PARTY! She could process this concept, since they had actually attended a party. They had had a block party the week before, and they taught her to raise her arms and shake her hands and say, "Party!" When Josephine asked where her MaMa was (at 11:00 p.m., 3:00 a.m. and 6:15!)) I raised my hands and said, "Party!"

It was so funny but it really worked. She was having bad dreams, methinks, and wanting MaMa. What a precious girl. It is so good for parents to have adult & couple time. They have regular dates.

I had a few stickers, but also had a large Canada Post roll of tape with our Canadian flag. They make lovely 'stickers' and were really cheap. We put them on her arms, sleep toys and GR & GR's arms, too.

The car ride was fun. It was two hours and she emptied her diaper bag, Grandma put a diaper on her head, we told her she was going home, and all was well with the world. We read her books, played peek with my scarf, counted fingers and toes ( 1 - 2 - fwee - fibe - seben!) and ate a muffin, drank water from the sippy cup and ate more Arrowroot cookies than she should have. BUT SHE WAS SOOOOO HAPPY! (What happens at GR - stays at GR! Our car still counts)

We all met at noon. We drove her to a meeting spot south, since home is east and had a fun lunch.

But I am so tired. I should have been prepared. I have a B.Ed., and an M.Ed. in Curriculum but, like the pains of childbirth, memories and lessons fade in a middle-aged brain.

In the meantime...there are lessons:
Be prepared.
Buy a few essential things. The dollar store is a great spot.
Babyproof the joint - you don't want to spend your visit saying, "No, don't touch!"
Be vigilant. There is much danger and kids can drown in a few cm of water. The land is uneven, with roots and rocks and weeds that get caught in baby sandals! (I twisted my ankle last week!)

Shopping list:

• 
  

• Age appropriate puzzles. Mine were not, but it is fun playing with the pieces.
  
• A pretend phone
• A great MANY stickers. REALLY! They love them. Or Post-its. Easy to remove, cheap and fun!

• Baby cereal
• Bananas
• Blocks or get some leftover wood and sand it well.
• Bug bite medication for children.
  
• Baby aspirin. (Caitlin had packed these in the diaper bag!)
• Books

• 
• CDs with kid songs
• Cookies
• Cooler with snacks for the car
• Crayons and pads of paper
  
• Crackers

The sounds and sights of Muskoka from a fresh and young point of view!



Dancing with grandma

MTM - Summer is here!

We are leaving town. With the first day of summer yesterday, we were not amused. The crazies have come to town, we're leaving since summer fever has hit the local scene.

On the lake
The boats zip back and forth across the lake, every day, yelling obscenities, sending my poor ducklings for a bit of a ride. The goslings, they had come up on the land, where the buzzing bees and clover doesn't make them seasick. Mom, Eva, looked quite concerned.

The boys of summer are glad their own private race track is thawed after a long winter. After burning wet wood all day by the lake, 9 or 10 men, or so, screamed up and down the lake on Saturday, when the rain ceased. We had to close our windows on this muggy day! I could smell it the next morning, too. (I think he had swim shorts on, I am not sure and do not want to know!)

In my town
The general store, located in a wonderful old house in Glen Orchard, has some issues, too. The clerks are always friendly, we laugh and exchange pleasantries. The had two cases of shoplifting, and 2 cases of verbal abuse. I attended an Elder Abuse Workshop (see my other blog) last Friday morning => June 15th was World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, but I think I need to write something on shopkeeper abuse.

• One woman yelling at the clerk that she didn't get her change back. (It was in her pocket already!)
• The clerk opened up his store at 6:30 (for a 7:00 a.m. opening) and the two potential customers yell at him because the coffee wasn't ready.
• A woman is told to move her car because it is blocking other customers in the small driveway/parking lot. She is insulted, and obviously has authority issues, since she overreacts: yelling at him.

On the roads

• A driver doing 50 km/per hour in an 80, is passed by a truck, who tries to come between the slowpoke and the driver behind him. It is a solid double line and there is a car coming. He squeezes in between the two vehicles, obviously a very important person, with important places to go, in a space (place?) not big enough for him.
• Another car then passes the same two drivers, on the same double line.

1. Practice water safety. (Transport Canada-safe boating) More people drown fishing than anything else. Put on your life jacket.
2. Noise carries on the water. Please leave your 4-letter words for the locker room. Turn off your music; your neighbours may (do) have different tastes.
3. Cottage Watch: As a member of the cottage community, you become a partner by simply reporting suspicious persons or activities to the police. You are encouraged to:
   

• record license plate numbers and descriptions of any suspicious vehicles in your neighborhood,
• watch for strangers in your neighbourhood,
• watch for persons taking "shortcuts" through your property,
• watch for vehicles making repeat visits through your neighbourhood.

MTM - tourists are HERE!

I was outside, soliciting at the LCBO in town...OK, politically correct term would have been canvassing for Hospice Muskoka.

Joking aside, I graciously bow to those who listened as I gave my speech, and those who donated, despite believing they were years away from needing such services! We help families with the peaceful passing of young and old. I attended another palliative conference last week, and there are some incredible Primary Care teams working to help those whose time has come. But that is another blog (OntarioSeniors)!

Hospice Muskoka does some great work, as do all the non-profit hospice groups across this continent. Seek them out in your neck of the woods.

What was so much fun, was a group of Bikers from Barrie. Some alliteration, n'est-ce pas?

They all lined up nicely, likely well-admired by my both my accountant-husbands if they had been there!

Some tripped across the street to get some delicious ice cream from the ice cream parlour, or hamburgers from the BJs grill. Others were simply stretching their legs an a lovely day for a drive.

Traffic was busy in our town. I wish I wasn't a working girl, as it would have been fun capturing all the vanity licence plates. Ah well, there is plenty of time.

The summer is long. I am looking forward to what goes on this summer.

MTM - a rough day on the coast

A video worth watching.
The Coast Guard
Water safety is of utmost importance, but the action on the big waters fascinates me. Our local fishermen tend to be the highest percentage of those who drown (without lifejackets)
These folks are just amazing!

An honourable reflection of those who serve...from Powell River Books.

MTM - Mother's Day

This is a reflection back to Sunday, for MTM post!

My husband went into town Sunday morning. Neither of us have living mothers. When he returned, he noticed something in the woodpile. He unloaded groceries, like a good boy, and came in to tell me about this something special. He dragged me out to the woodpile.

A greeting card, featuring none other than our wicked Beatrice (formerly Butch), the raccoon, who must have made the choice. She's pretty bossy on the deck. I am sure there was a fight over which card - and she won. The card was signed by all those with furs, fins and feathers: 5 geese, 6 ducks, 3 cats, two goldfish, and the various raccoons, & birds at the bird feeder.





It was awfully cold in the garage this morning, glad I had my thick sweats on! The wine was a perfect temperature.




What a lesson in racial relations and cooperation!


The wine is a lovely white, chosen, likely by Lonesome Charlie (another long photo story) who has the most experience in the bars. Most of the others have S.O.s , and large families, even the red squirrel, and don't have time to be in the bars. They must have secretly gone into Bala, perhaps visited with Eric, who has been planting bulbs and dahlias at the LCBO, with some advice from myself.

Perhaps they asked Eric for advice. It is usually Bill who directs us towards that $65 bottle - which is above their means. I am sure Eric gave them some options. Butch, Charlie and the others live on a limited income and likely had to watch their money!


Lo and behold, my precious creatures all pitched in to get me flowers.



Oliver helped me put the flowers in water, making sure I did it right.



Reaching up towards me at the counter, where he is NOT SUPPOSED TO JUMP UP - EVER...he behaved himself.








~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mother's Day Down Memory Lane...

Mother's Day 1996 - where does the time go?








Then, 1985 was a very good year.









My precious children all attended their step-sister's wedding in London, Ontario. My daughter told me the wedding was 'fine', sons said that they sobered up during the not so endearing speeches, they were so long. Not a good time had by all!


This Mother's Day started dreary and rainy and turned bright and beautiful. I was reflecting on Mother's Day in the past. I have the photos to prove it!

I remember sending my mother cards ("I don't need anything, dear!") as we were far away. We brought them gifts, and did outside chores, when we visited Muskoka later in the season. May, for a teacher, is terribly busy!


The parcel I was told under no uncertain terms NOT to open until today, mysteriously contained exactly what I had wished for! A hot air popcorn popper (I am addicted to it!) My miraculous family! Granddaughter Josephine signed her card, too.

Despite attending their step-sister's wedding out of town, all of them phoned me. What a great day!

MTM - Jarvis C.I.

Jarvis C. I.'s 200th Anniversary photos from 2007
There is something about an old building. I loved learning, hated the high school scene! I felt fat, ugly and when I look back - what I wouldn't give for those hips now!
Never in the 'in' crowd, I got all A's and sailed through.

The swim team, junior choir, senior choir, madrigal choir made it fun.
I hung around with the smart girls. There were about 5 of us. It was the years of bell bottoms, afros, and every class photo had at least one kid with a cigarette in hand.



The front - the trees, as are some of us, are much bigger and older.

















I love the facade. Many a year book photo was taken on these steps.



Library



















auditorium murals




































So much fun going back in time to my old high school.
The foyer



















marble staircases





















The auditorium




The lockers look so different. Doesn't it conjure up memories of days gone by?!

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