5- A new day dawns in Nova Scotia

20 July 2013, we wake to a sunny beautiful day in Lunenberg NS, Canada. My great ancestors, maybe great great great ancestors, arrived from the old country to this land, this place in 1753. Given a plot of land for signing on with militia or so the story goes, and the spelling of the surname is changed due to language differences and here we are.

I see the fabulous view out the window of the bay, the sea, and sailing boats in the harbour. I note a few family are downstairs on the outside deck having coffee. Not to miss a thing, we get dressed enough to socialize, a quick comb of the hair, brush of the teeth and off to find grandsons to entertain and hug.

We have an incredible gluten free buffet, poached eggs, bacon, gluten free raisin bread for toast, fruits and creme fraiche. Cool water, no ice, lightly freshened with mint or lemon or lime, for the choosing. Of course there was more to eat, but I am focusing on my story here!

Enjoying the conversation and catching up on news and plans for this day, a family wedding.

Soon people start their preparations, the bride and her friends to the hair salon and spa, kids get taken to the park. A wee bit of shopping for last minute forgotten items. All within walking distance. Lunch time comes soon enough and lobster rolls can be found most places. We stop and select items for take out and rush back to the Inn so we can dress and eat and entertain children in shifts. About 30 minutes is all we have to share.

We take shifts watching boys and showering in the heat of the day and struggling into wedding clothes found and stepped in to. I choose a large brimmed hat to make a statement, to cover my disheveled hair and to create shade for me and anyone in my arms.

Off to the pier which is marked off for guests of the wedding only, part of the royal Lunenberg treatment, attached to the Maritime Museum where we had last nights dinner only hours previously.

Here comes the bride …. Walked down the pier by her very proud papa, my older brother who looks adoringly at his little girl grown to be a fine young woman making a life stand. Not a dry eye as the vows are spoken and the sweltering sun keeps the pace moving along. John has donned his tall fatherly appearance in a traditional hunting MacDonald tartan kilt, complete with belt and buckle, kilt pin with traditional Scottish emblem. He wears a white lace up kilt shirt, long socks and his signature Keen sandals. He looks happy, proud, a man of culture. My father would be so proud of the man he has become. The first wedding day in our family without the presence of my father, missed. John looks so much likemy father once did, with strong resemblance also to my uncle Vern and my mother in some of his features. A handsome happy man on this glorious celebration day.

Tracey is stunning. She is tiny and stunningly beautiful in her form fitting lace dress with ribbon around her waist. Her hair is picture perfect, high green shoes. Three brides attendants in navy blue short dresses all a bit different. The men in suits, green shirts and the groom stands in wait for this day, this woman and this life together.

Simple vows of deep meaning and promise. Rings exchanged. The kiss seals the event.

We take the boys back to the Inn for afternoon break, maybe a nap for the little one and his mom, in preparation for the nights festivities and partying promised.

Dinner, speeches and tears are all part of the ceremony of the day. Followed by dancing and an open bar. Tracey takes a moment to say a special thank you to all the guests. She recalls that i taught her to shop and Sheena was her cousin, companion and dear friend, getting into bad more than good as they grew up together.

As Grammy, I am off to sit with sleeping precious babies …. Some 5 and a half hours in a dark cool room ….. I miss all the dancing and frolicking of the cousins and friends.

I wish I had seen my daughter dance, filled with life and love for her cousins on this special happy reunion. I am glad I get to make it possible. I sit in a padded chair in the dark listening to the breathing of these little angel boys.

An awesome and spectacularly special day for all in attendance.

Aunt Pam
Xoxoxo

4- Boscawen Inn, Lunenberg NS

We arrive just before 615 pm on the night before the wedding in Lunenberg. Reservations have been made for 40 plus at the Maritime Museum, the Old Fish Factory, on the bay in Lunenberg. The family wedding is tomorrow. Tonight we gather and feast.

I have been in Nova Scotia just 24 hours and have already tasted gluten free toast with maple butter. Not yet lobster or scallops, but we are out for dinner. Lobster special is on, with mussels and I ask for local made sauerkraut. Some German decent in my background, in the 17 hundreds my mother’s family was given a plot of land here, as a gift for a militia tour. We have stood in that lot, and toasted our coming to Nova Scotia.

My mother was born here, my brother and I as well. Here we stand in this historic place. In the parking lot, we gather. My mother, my eldest daughter, my partner, the two grandsons and me. Something starts the great giggle. Almost unable to contain our excitement we laugh. Over tired maybe but things just seem so darn funny. Sheena, mom and I all share that delight and a belly laugh from generations of love. Tears flow easily from the eyes of love.

Then to the restaurant with kids in tow, we order wonderful tastes from the sea. Sheena and I share Sangria. My aunt Linda, aunt Sheila, uncle Vern all sit together. The rest of the family finds us and stops in for a few words. John, Ashley, Tracey, Cindy, the parade of folks who have come to the wedding of two wonderful young people.

It is a celebration. We feast. The kids do great. We find our rooms, get sorted and enjoy the home style comfort of 17 room bed and breakfast inn, Boscawen.

After settling, we meet in the main foyer for a wee glass of wine and a chance to share stories before resting up for the party that tomorrow will surely bring.

Thanks to all of you for following my tales. I wish you were here …. It is so beautiful in my life!

Love P

3- Day at the beach in Nova Scotia

I have stepped in to my past with such excitement. Seeing it again from the eyes and experience of my grandsons.

Evangeline beach, red clay like sand. Tide going out. Almost the biggest tide in the world, that would be Kingsport Nova Scotia on the Bay of Fundy.

More than 4 stories of an apartment building, surfacing every day twice at low tide. Today the tide was going out and we were chasing it. Visibly obvious with each salty red wave, my memories surfaced like the tiny sea creatures uncovered and suddenly exposed to the warm sun rays.

What a delight. Forgetting how the red earth stains clothes, I have put on my white light cotton sweater and a black jacket borrowed from my mom. A hat in case the rain picks up. The boys in sandals and hats, little sweaters. They need a little encouragement but then delight in the wild world of the sea. I share and introduce this world to them. My special place.

We walk and explore, splashing, falling, laughing, running and rinsing in the tiny river like paths of water rushing to meet the sea. Wait for me, they say, trying to catch up.

Exhausted and completely satisfied we have to practically strip down to get in the van, turn clothes inside out and rinse sandals in puddles. Back to GG, great grammas house.

I was a little person, once again, same age as Jack, only 18 months old, or Luke, just three. I was there once upon a time, delight on my face and excitement fills me once again. The smells of the sea. The feeling of the red clay squishing between my toes. The sight of the beach laid out long and wide around us. A seal out a bit bobbing in the water watching us frolicking and playing.

In a moment I am both the Grammy and the babe. I have bent time and enjoyed the very best of the world. No fear, no struggle, no angst, only body memory of a simple time of sheer delight to be alive and enjoying all my senses can feed me.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. For taking me back and bringing me forward. I love this place and time and connection to myself.

Wish you were here,

With much love and sand in my shoes,

Grammy Pammy

Xoxoxox

2- Airport arrival

The first leg of my flight is to Calgary. I arrive and immediately seek and find Sheena and her two energetic and wonderful boys. I am filled to the brim with excitement and love for these three people. How lucky and special am I!

We board the plane and have paid for the front bulk head row seats. 2 A, B and C. We turn our space into five hours of eating, resting and reading books. We look out the window, we open and close the window coverings, we watch people line up to use the facilities …. We talk to the attendant who is helpful and nice.

We are all tired, and no one sleeps. Not one wink of sleep. Too excited, not sure why. That is how it is with new experiences. We are not sure what brings it on. The unfamiliar becomes the anticipated and we rejoice in the moments of togetherness and expectancy for what is about to happen.

When we arrive, so does all the luggage and car seats. Perfect. Then we find my mother, now dubbed GG by Sheena and the boys to keep people easy to identify. My aunts Linda and Sheila are along as well. We head to the parking lot, leaving the aunts to wait for Steve’s later arrival with Air Canada out of Toronto.

We drive to Wolfville and get settled in to GG’s luxury condo apartment. We have a bit of supper, cold roast chicken and veggies and fruit. Beds are made, kids are changed. We enjoy some quiet time and a glass of wine and then head off later for a nice night sleep.

Morning arrives soon enough, up before the boys. We shower and prepare as we may not have time to ourselves for days!

Glorious summer vacations with loved ones in the most beautiful province, my home, Nova Scotia.

You and I are welcome, always. I love you, thank you.

P

I am happily sitting aboard Westjet flight speeding toward Calgary. I will have only a few minutes to find my lovely daughter and her beautiful sons at that airport. They will be waiting for me at the gate, ready to board our flight to Halifax.

I have iPad with great stories and games loaded. I have a Dora the Explorer paper book I found for reading on take off and landing. Construction paper but no pens or pencils …. Hmmmmmmm. I will need to be creative for sure.

I get to practice with a wonderful young woman sharing my row and her almost two year old sitting on her lap. Reading Princess Disney book and picking out pictures of puppies and horses. The flight attendant provided cookies and the little girl has some water to sip on to help with the ear popping. Hopefully I will have time for water purchase, and maybe a pen and postcard between flights but maybe not.

Last trip I took I sent post cards to the grandsons from airports and countries visited. Only six weeks ago, packing was fresh in my mind. This time I still overpacked but am under my luggage weight so room to grow :). Looking forward to a lulu store and Tall Girl shop in Halifax. And France and Italy will hold delights …. Back to the present!

Travel and shopping are so intertwined for me. How very fun to combine a few of my favourite activities.

I did all my out of office notices on my gmail and Cruiseshipcenters and will do my phone in a few days.

Steve’s daughter has made a last minute decision to fly from Moscow to meet us in Nice for a few days next week. We have to find a suitable arrangement for her room. Nice to have so many family on this trip.

My niece Tracey is getting married this weekend in Lunenberg and we, the family, have booked up a hotel or two in that town for the festivities. A few days also with my mom in Wolfville and an overnight or two in Halifax for ease of airport travel. My aunts and uncle, brother, nieces and nephew will all be there.

Lovely farewell wishes from wonderful friends and I am on my way on this great adventure.

Wish you were here. With love Pamela

Notes to self

I love to travel and it is always worth it

Helping others with travel is also fun,

I love the rush of excitement for myself as I pack and then prepare to board

I love early mornings.

Don’t drink too much wine the night before a major trip

Don’t leave last minute things to the wee hours in the morning, before I leave because in the morning I forget what I wanted to remember

Send letters and cards to loved ones before I leave town. This is a new idea and I love how it feels. Follow up with post cards. Remember to put postal addresses in to cell phone.

Always travel with nuts, or protein foods in case there is nothing gluten free to eat along the way.

Remember alarm clocks are not intuitive. If you don’t set for a.m., the clock does not know that is what you mean …..

Always set a back up alarm clock!

Hang out in airports every chance I get

Surf the Internet for great travel ideas. Keep the bucket list current and add to it daily

Carry jewelry, makeup and vitamins in carry on bag.

Always travel with iPad and iPhone and connect to Facebook at every check in point.

Feel special and loved …. It is true.

When you find a bathroom, use it even if I don’t have to …. Not sure when the next one is.

Hydrate by drinking water often.

Live the dream I have.

28 June 2013

On my way from Grammies house. I am traveling this long weekend, Canada Day, to see my eldest daughter and her lovely family. Two grandsons to hold and giggle with. I am so excited.

My car is packed full of quilt fabric and must be ten or more cloth bags full of quilt books and magazines collected over the years. Projects I completed and those dreamed about. Hopefully I will complete them over the years of visiting with Sheena and the family. Building love and visits in every new quilt.

I will take time each visit to select a project and enjoy the input from the boys and their mom. What to plan and what fabrics excite? Bright colours and stories told in fabric. A dream for me. And quilts to dream under for them.

And as they grow up will they remember the fun with Grammie when she came to visit and made us quilts? Will they longingly touch the fabrics and remember the fun we had? Will they dream sweet dreams of love and abundance wrapped in Grammie-love?

Quilts of villages, sailboats, people and animals from foreign places. Quilts of no particular theme, just random and fun fabric selection and easy blocks to sew together.

Weaving my life to theirs even before they have memory stored. A pre verbal conversation of love and attention. Whispers of days to come and fun exploration and imagination. Oh the delight. The sense of home created by putting fabric together sandwiched with love and attention and a bit of coloured thread.

I will be sure to take pics and share with you any projects or fabric play if I take a minute away from mindful creating to capture the moment in time, for all time.

With love and fabric anticipation, my creative self

Pamela
Xoxox

Wish you were here.

Oxygen mask

On every flight the same message. When I travel I hear and smile at the reminder for self care. Women so need to hear this message. Care for yourself first. Then you can assist the others around you.

This week has offered a few reminders of this important message. I can see what happens when we think we can care for someone else more or first.

It’s Father’s Day today and I am reminded of the caring my mother provided for my father, and our family, over the years he was alive. He suffered a great deal at the end, and his care had to be handed over to professionals. My mother had to don her own oxygen mask before caring for him. It is not a one time thing. Over and over and over we need to daily notice if we are getting enough oxygen, enough self care.

We also have to suspend judgment on what it might look like for another person. How we care for ourselves is so unique and specific to our own needs and our own personal circumstances that it might not appear to be that for onlookers. Self care is clearly about the authentic self and nurturing to what is needed.

I am grateful I had the precious years with my father. I admired him and what he was able to accomplish. I saw him in our home, in his work, and in his struggles. Mostly I saw the fun loving and caring and nurturing person he was as my father and the grandfather to my children. What a gift, my father.

I take a big in breath today and sit in the memory of the Father’s Day calls and times we had together. I breath again and remember how much I was loved and nurtured by him. And more breaths as I allow and even invite memories of his fathering.

With a big thank you to my mother on this fine day for modelling caring for herself and in so doing, providing care for my favourite man ever, my dad.

A deep breath as the tears fall. Another as I smile.

With much love this special Father’s Day.

Wish you were here,

Xoxoxox

Shopping for dresses

I love to shop. Everyone who knows me well knows that I am a shopper.

Over the years I have become more specifically discriminating in my shopping. Other than basic necessities, I shop now for unique designer items. And most especially when I travel I seek out the long silky slinky numbers that are often made for the woman figure that I have been so blessed with. Tall and willowy, long legs and arms, and slim shape.

I have added layers of jewellery around my neck and each finger is adorned with at least one ring, up to three per. I have an enviable row of shoes lining the hallways and closets in my home, mostly flats so they don’t take up much room.

I love flowy clothes. I love the all white combination for summer, and Greece. I love black and heavier drapey fabrics and even sequins for cruise wear with evening dining. I love a splash of color and layers and layers for flights and changing seasons and time zones.

I enjoy dress up. On some cruises the opportunity exists to be very formal and even black and white masked balls! Sometimes I am creative with large silky scarves dramatically draped for interest and an entrance.

I have started to gather some favourite designers items through my travels abroad and also here at home. I link to their Facebook sites. I go on the web and google this seasons offerings. What do I have already that looks like that? Simple lines and easy fabrics. How can I capture that look?

Classy simple lines. Easy care fabrics and comfort are all part of what I value. When I check out the closet in the morning I consider the latest finds and combine with some basics from another time.

Shopping is so much more than going out to buy something. It involves the study, the touch, the trying on, the image and emotion that arises when I step into the new item, be it scarf or dress.

Word to the wise, when you love it, buy it. It is not available in every country or even in another store. One of a kind from a foreign land cannot be replaced. Sometimes I even buy two, one in each color, especially if I love it more than anything that is in my suitcase on this trip!

Women stop me and say how nice it looks, “where ever did you find that?” … And how can they research and find their hearts desire dress?

Years of practice and study and countless hours looking, walking, touching, imagining, and allowing myself to be dressed by the designer or store clerk who offers me tempting items while I spend hours in a change room.

This summer I will have spent many hours in tiny rooms with small doors and sometimes only a curtain between me and the outside world. I have already found some items I will keep for always. Some of my favourite clothing items were hanging just a few short weeks ago in a designer sale rack in the back of a little store in Chania Crete in Greece. It was my second time to that place and I would go back in a heartbeat.

Next stop Florence and Rome for a taste of Italy to add to my collection. Momentos of my shopping excursions around the world!

Curled up in Quilts

I have been making quilts for years now. A really good friend of mine is a master quilter and I would admire her fabric tops carefully sewn to make art. One day she invited me into her world of fabric addiction and cotton fluff.

I am sitting here on my small condo sized sectional couch. My feet are cold. My feet are always cold. I reach over and pull the red, blue, white and green flannel plaid quilt over to my size nine thin feet that can’t seem to hold in the heat, and gently carefully wrap the soft warn quilt around my toes.

This quilt belonged to my father. I made it for him as a bit of a personal rebellion. I remember as a young child that he liked bright coloured plaid and was not always able to purchase or wear such colours. Ok. He could wear his favourite soft old plaid shirts when hanging out at home and doing chores, but not when society (and my mom) wanted him to look more put together. He had plaid cotton shirts. I wanted him to know this gift was for him.

I learned to cut plaids and place them carefully. I machine pieced this work of art and love and then machine quilted it with a lovely thick cotton batting. Bound in more red flannel and his name written on fabric and hand sewn lovingly by my mother for his last days were spent in a hospital care ward. He slept with his quilt each night. He died with it on his bed as well.

Oh how I wept that day, my birthday was the same day he let go of life. I found myself wanting to hug that magic red flannel as if it still contained the essence of the wonderful man that he was to me.

Tonight I feel him here with me, enjoying that I treasure the quilt and make the choice to have it wrap my own self up in the love that was for him not so very long ago.

Good night dad,

With love and happy memories

Pamela and the quilt
Xoxox