Blast from the past

I want to show you my late mother's room divider. The kids will remember staying at the cottage, with no door on the TV room/guest room. Mom wanted a screen. I asked a now defunct Manotick antique store if they had one, and they found me this one. That was somewhere around 1995. It has beautiful hidden screws, covered by carved plugs. Mom replaced the fabric with this white lacey stuff.

Dad used to get up at 5:30 a.m. to put on the wood stove. Sabre, the dog, would peer under the divider to see if we were up!

Sabre, with mom and dad, 2002, BALA

Anyway, I have loaned the divider to a bereavement group run out of our local hospice agency, for whom I volunteer. I'm sure Mom would have thought that very cool! It would have been her 93rd birthday on the 4th of the 4th, last week.

We used it when I volunteered with Day Hospice. At that time, my friend, Susan, gifted tea cups to Day Hospice that belonged to her daughter.

We toodled into the city to have lunch with JB's aunt. She gave him an old photo album that belonged to his late mother. They talked about old times.

Today, April 12th, would have been my parents' anniversary. I have photos.

Dad, Nanny, Mom,
Wedding April 12th, 1945

Ray Jilks (1925 - 2007)
Joan Jilks (1925 – 2006)
Anne Butt (1883 – 1978)

April 12th, 1945

Mom and dad at their home,
Walker Ave., Toronto

Mom adored her grandbaby, Caitlin, Bala, 1980

Mom and dad at our wedding, 2002,
Bala

Bread making and April congratulations

Joan Jilks (1925 - 2006)

Today is April 4th. April was a busy month in my family home.

• The 4th was mom's birthday. 
• The 12th was my parents' wedding anniversary. They made it to 59 years of marriage! 
• My brother's birthday is April 21st.

My late mother and my daughter

Music drove my Mom's life. Still working on that danged cross stitch she was unable to finish!
Mom hosted the best parties.
She always baked cookies when she knew we were coming. Also, baked chicken. Always.
Dad was the baker. He did the turkey and stuffing, on special occasions.

I tried to make some bread machine bread and even though I tested the yeast, it was dead bread. I was thinking of my parents, as my late father taught my ex-husband how to bake bread from scratch. I cannot tell you how many times dead bread was the result many years ago!

Dad (1925 - 2007) baked up a storm at Christmas.
Mom loved her Christmas parties!
Yes, that's me!

Mom and Dad

Mom was celiac and made rice bread,
while dad bought a bread machine for his bread!

This was a sad, little dead bread!
The yeast expired in 2012. 

Brand new yeast and I was successful.
Dad would have been proud!