Posts Tagged ‘Great Grandparents’
The following are sentiments sent via email, by my sister, to my family in regards to my late Nana, who passed away in 2006.
We miss you, we love you and we remember…
***
I wanted to write to first say to Dad, because it is his mom, and we all know how important a mom is … that I was thinking about you and also Nana many times today. I am sure we all were.
But secondly, to all, if I was a poet or a songwriter, I would have a page ready to be made public with all the thoughts running through my head – it felt like I should write them down … Anyway here is the synopsis, not the published work or pop tune!
Ever since I told Nana on the phone back in December 2006 that I was having a third baby, and then 2 days later was told she was in hospital, the memories of that month are so crystal clear. Not sure why. But each night as I walked Reuban [our dog] to the end of our street, to the little park to go the bathroom, I would gaze at the Nativity outside St. Joseph’s church and pray for Nana. I would think about the cool wind on my face, think about the black sky with gray foggy clouds … wondering back in 2006 if she would ever feel or see those very things again. Things we all take for granted … wind, outside air, cold, stars, clouds.
I started out on my walk tonight again, gazed at the Nativity and felt a lump in my throat and felt my eyes well up — it then started raining – first spitting and then when I left the Nativity it was absolutely pouring. Thankfully, I know it wasn’t ‘tears from heaven’ as I do know she is happy and content now with Grandad by her side. The two of them bring to my mind holiness, peace, grace, love, respect … they were so in love with each other and their family. I have always loved the picture that circulated yesterday – as if they were on a date, just the two of them, the ‘rainbow’ bestowing some magic toward them in their own world ….
Anyway, if I was a poet this would be a beautiful verse but it’s just me and my thoughts … year and year again around this date. Crystal clear.
I love you Dad, love you Mom, love you siblings.
xoxoo
***
And some thoughts from me…
I miss her too.
One connection I always make when I think about her, is her hands. They were so small and soft and I loved to hold hands with her…even when I was in my 20s. I secretly hoped we would have a chance to hold hands on her couch, and usually it happened every time. She’d be sitting in her pencil skirt, ankles crossed and feet perched on her footstool, while I sat by her side, literally, touching her side, and she would take my hand and tell me a story or something that was going on, or just ask me how I was doing and what was new. Anyway, I cherished those moments and still do and can clearly remember how her tiny hand felt in mine, fingers interlocked and all.
Love you Nana!
Onward to Halifax
Posted on: January 27, 2010
- In: The Niko Files | Travel
- 3 Comments
Today marks the day that Niko will be taking his first flight(s)! Do seat sales automatically mean flights with stopovers? Well, I know now that the answer to that question is no. But how was I to know that when WestJet offers seat sales, so does Air Canada, but the flights from Air Canada are direct?! Oh well, I am now resigned to the fact that Niko and I will be taking a leisurely journey to Halifax today and stopping over in Toronto to catch our next flight.
A few weeks ago I got an email from WestJet about the seat sales, and Niko was enticed! So we booked a flight to Halifax to visit his Great Grandparents and a few other relatives; we are going for six days in total and staying with Natalie, Darren, Charlotte and Lauren. And once again I am left wondering about the baby logistics of it all: how will we manage? In talking with friends and family they all assure me that I we will be just fine, and I know this journey will help to build my “travel with baby” confidence -although sometimes I think it is a bit of a crazy trip to be making on my own. But, I think I just need to remember what is at the end of the flights (yes flights – the joy of seat sales, remember?!): keep my eye on the prize, you know? There will be lots of hugs, loving arms, and smiles waiting for us in the city of Halifax – it’s just the getting there that’s getting to me. But all in all (just like child birth 😉 ), it is just one day and we will make it through some way or another. Now, Halifax or bust!
Great Grandad’s Moose
Posted on: December 20, 2009
Two days ago (December 18th) marked the 90th birthday of Niko’s Great Grandad (my mom’s dad): 90 years old and still looking fine! Anyway, this summer while I was pregnant, Borys and I made the trek to Halifax to visit family (even Carolyn was there, all the way from East Timor), and we spent a few days visiting with my maternal grandparents. One day as we were all enjoying lunch together at my grandparents’ house, my grandad busted into this entertaining and unexpected story. The story went something like this…
Around 30 or 40 years ago my grandad went hunting in New Glasgow, with a buddy who lived there. He had been hunting many times, but on this particular occasion he shot and killed his first (and only) moose using his “nice semi-automatic rifle: [well with that] you couldn’t miss!”. They tied the moose to his buddy’s truck and brought it to his dad’s garage. His friend cut up the moose, leaving the head and skin all in one piece, and was to deliver these parts to my grandad in Halifax, and leave it under his back steps. My grandad had promised the head to another friend, and one of his sons wanted the skin, to turn it into a rug for the floor.
Well time passed and the head and skin were nowhere to be seen. My grandad got in touch with his friend and said, “Where in the hell is the moose head? It’s not here!”. The guy was adamant that he had put it under the back veranda, but my grandad assured him it was nowhere in sight. To which his buddy replied, “Well it is under someone’s back steps, because I dropped it off last week”. After some time, they figured the guy had dropped it off under the neighbours’ back steps instead of my grandad’s. So, my grandad called up the lady on the corner and asked her: “Have you been under your back steps lately, because there’s a moose head and skin under your veranda!?” She went to have a look and sure enough there was the hide and head. Now, you can imagine that a moose skin and head left to it’s own devices would not be in the greatest of shape after lingering around under some lady’s veranda for a few days, but this lady was cool as a cucumber, as she was a hunter’s wife, so she wasn’t too concerned. Don’t ask me how the neighbours didn’t notice rotting moose parts under their steps up until this moment, but this is just how the story goes…
So, my grandad went to the neighbours and retrieved the remnants of this now long-dead moose, still bound and determined to get the hide turned into a carpet for his son. He wrapped the skin up in a box, and brought it to the train station: apparently he needed to send it by train to get it to the taxidermist. However (and surprise, surprise!), the guy at the train station refused to ship it, seeing as by that time the parcel really didn’t smell too good and considering the contents. But my grandad was persistent and argued with the guy until he finally agreed to ship it. Well, that day marked the last day that my grandad ever did see that moose skin. From then on, he never heard anything about it ever again and he’s convinced that the man from the train station, appeased him momentarily, but then simply chucked it in the garbage and that was end of it!
Note 1: The picture below is taken by my sister Carolyn, and is Borys and a six month pregnant me, enjoying lunch at my grandparents’ house, on the very day he told us this lovely little anecdote.
Note 2: As you can see in the picture below, my grandad is dressed up dapper in a shirt and tie, even for this casual lunch. And now that I think of it, I have really only ever seen him wearing a nice shirt and tie! So, this brings me to wonder, did he wear a shirt and tie even when he went hunting? 🙂
Parenting 2.0 