Going Home

I do believe that I have mentioned that I went back to Ontario at the end of June. I've been harping on that one for a while now!! While I was there, I got to do something I haven't done for ages. I got to go back 'home'.
I know. It's only brick, and mortar, and trees. We all have that place I'm guessing. For me it was Caledonia. That big old house symbolizes a ton of stuff for me. It's taken me this long to actually be able to think about looking at the pictures and finding words to go along with it.
Many things are important about that town, that bridge, that street and that house.
The town reminds me a lot of Charlottetown. Maybe that's why I feel so comfortable here. There's an 'older' part of town, which boasts of the most beautiful, character-filled homes ever. There's a newer part of town, further from the water, just like Caledonia. You can walk down the street and people honk their horns at you. It just somehow has that feel that people know you and you should know everyone. My kids run to the corner store, just like my sister and I ran to the 'Magic Mart'. It just feels homey.


The night that the picture of the bridge was taken, it was the perfect weather. Dusk was just coming on, and that is an amazing shot of the Caledonia Bridge. Town was divided by this side of the bridge and 'that' side of the bridge. That is my high school, and in order to get to it, I had to cross the bridge every day. I remember when I used to cross it on my lunch hours too, in order to call my first boyfriend on his lunch break. Crazy kids!! hahaha
That house used to seem like a mansion. I had two windows in my room, one of which is the top left corner when you look face on at the house. We did puppet plays for the neighbourhood kids over the banister of the verandah. I remember the living room was huge. At least it felt like it to me. I remember practicing my piano lessons and imagining people dancing like in a ballroom. Silly now to think that way, but I guess whatever gets you through those long practice sessions.
Anyway, that was home. Still is, in some way.
Tons of great memories. So glad I had the chance to live there. I think this would be the closest I can come in trying to give my kids the same opportunity. I can't do it justice, but at least I will have tried.




So, here is where the thanks go. I have to thank my dear friend Paul, who got dragged through town, listening patiently while I kept saying, "You're not tired yet, are you?" and "This is where I did this", "my babysitter lived there", "Theresa lived right there!!" hahaha Patience of Job. Paul is also the kind soul who taught me the proper way to take a picture. I did not realize that you must give yourself whiplash (in reverse) by pulling the camera tightly away from you, while the strap is around your neck, and hold it very carefully so that you don't get the fuzzy pictures. Who knew that all you photographers out there actually had such strong necks!! I appreciate your time Paul. Thanks so much.

The Summer

It's funny how it happens. The times you go into thinking the worst somehow ends up being salvaged and being the best after all. Like this summer. On the tail end of six months of upheaval and 'I'm packing', 'No, I'm staying', 'Nope, I'm packing again!', here came a summer of experiences. I'm guessing that this would be God's gift to me throughout the chaos.


I'll try to summarize with clarity, but some moments are just moments. Words can't really do them justice.


After my 'Almost 40' party, I came back to the Island while the kids stayed in Ontario with all the amazing supports I have there. .....mostly my mother! I tried to make good use of the time and re-did the boys' room. It was a total shock to them both. Here is the end result.
Picture #1 is the room when you walk in the door. Picture #2 is Michael's side, complete with Pirate poster and Christmas lights for ambience! Picture #3 is Samuel's side, fully furnished with Spongebob! Behind the white dresser in Sam's part is a small desk hidden away, and under his bunkbed, I created a little fort for playing, which he loves. Michael has a table in his section where he has been building and painting a small birdhouse before bed each night. It's all worked out beautifully, but kudos must go to those who actually made it work for me.
Marlene, the amazing, made the drapes, almost before the thought had made it into my mind! Ken and Lori-Ann worked tirelessly at hanging the drapes from chains and steel pipe from the ceiling. It created a very masculine feel, which the boys appreciated, I'm sure!!



I read a blog recently and there was reference to the 'Top 10 list' of things they wanted to do. I guess I've sort of made my own twist on that and called them 'PEI Moments'. Sort of like things I wanted to experience in PEI. I do have a separate list of places I want to see and experiences I want to have before I die, but these are specifically Island things. I can be walking down the street and see a 4-pc jazz band playing at dusk, and that is my PEI Moment. One of the things that I really have wanted to do was go out on a boat. I love the water, and it did seem fairly pointless to move all this way and never get out on the water. So I snuck aboard the 'Golden Moments' trip (the senior's group at the church) when they went Deep Sea Fishing.
This would be 'Charlie' the first mate. A true Islander, a true fisherman and the craziest guy on the planet! Doesn't the water look nice and calm?? Doesn't it appear to be the perfect evening for deep sea fishing?? Well, all I can say, without ruining this lovely picture, is that by the end of it all, 8 out of 18 of us were hanging our heads over the side of the boat feeding the fish! The swells were extremely high and in my defense, even those who have been avid boaters were 'losing it', so I didn't really feel so bad. All in all, I did get out on the water. I would love the chance to try it again on a night when things were a bit calmer, but I still love the water and still would jump at any chance to be out on it.


A couple more pictures. Michael and I.
Yes, that would be me, CLIMBING A ROCK WALL. Surprisingly harder than it looks. Michael, of course, did very well, but I think he was secretly happier with my effort than even his own! He tends to be very pleased when I am a good sport and try something new. Funny thing about the climbing that I didn't realize before, how all your body is supported by the tips of your fingers and the balls of your feet (if there's even room for those, sometimes just your big toe!!!)

Many more moments over the summer were fantastic. I heard some pretty amazing live music this summer. For me, that is what embodies most of the PEI experience. Walking down by the water and some French man playing his guitar and singing quietly over by a building. So peaceful.

Samuel has had an amazing month of camps in August. He went to Seggie (the local church camp) the first of the month and just got back from Oak Acres in Murray River on Sunday. Michael left that same day for Seggie, and he'll be back just in time for school to begin. Both boys have relished the fact that they get 'Mom' all to themselves for an entire week. Nice that that still means something to a 13 yr old.

Anyway, I should actually try and post more often, and I will try and do better at that. Off to get ready for the day now.

Take care.

Turning 40.......Almost!

HAPPY SURPRISE 40TH BIRTHDAY PAM!!!

Imagine my surprise while visiting Ontario a couple weeks ago, to open a door and find all kinds of people in a house, ready to celebrate my birthday!
So kind, don't you think?
Of course, anyone who is actually paying attention to the details in my profile, my birthday isn't until the middle of October. Now normally I'm a pretty easy-going kind of person, so this would not be that much of a problem, but as can be seen from the number on the cake, this year's birthday is a biggie! I was very surprised and very touched that everyone would do this for me while I was home. The thinking was that I won't be home for my 40th....ughhhh....just saying the number is weird!.....so the woman who threw the party wanted to make sure that whenever I got home this year, I'd have one. And it worked! I now feel 40! I was feeling 25 before then, probably just ignoring the numbers, but everyone who came also contributed with birthday cards with that number on it, so now I am convinced I am 40! And I'm not even there yet!!!

Oh well, any excuse for a party! It was fantastic. People just kept walking through the door. I don't think I stopped smiling all night long! My sister Wendy was probably the happiest to see me. I had been home for a few days and this was the first she'd seen me that week. The next night I had her home to Mom's place for a sleepover! She was wild!

Some amazing fun was had, I can tell you that!

Blogging every six months

Last blogged Jan 21. That is almost seven months ago.
The previous pet peeve has been replaced at least a dozen times since then.
New pictures have been taken.
New thoughts have been... um ... thunk?? ... thought.

However.

No one can now say....."Ever consider blogging AGAIN???" "Do you know that you actually have a blog??"

Okay, the picture of the kids and I is a TAD blurry.
The woman who took the picture remarked on it, and true enough. There needs to be something better there.
So, if I can remember how to post a picture, so it shall appear. This was taken at my friend Holly's wedding. Her and Terry were remarkable. Probably more about that later.

More later, I suppose.

Latest Pet Peeve

So, here's the latest pet peeve.
Does no one remember the rules of sidewalk etiquette?? This TOTALLY DRIVES ME NUTS!!!
Samuel, my 7 year old, and I walk to school/work together every morning. It's a lovely time for bonding, chatting and such. Except for when I'm frustrated with the other walking public. When we started this routine at the beginning of school, I taught him that if someone was walking toward us, it is very important to SHARE THE SIDEWALK. He needed to either walk ahead of me or fall in step behind me until the person/people passed us by. It's only polite. We don't own the sidewalk, we ALL HAVE TO SHARE!!!
Apparently, walking public have changed the rules for walking together as a harmonized body. Old ladies walk down the middle of the sidewalk and don't move for nothing! Both of us end up scurrying off the sidewalk to let them pass. Teenagers assume I should walk on the road for them, so they can walk together, 3-wide, taking up WAY more than their share. There is one mother who walks with a stroller every morning, with about three other kids in tow. Do you think she would move to her side of the sidewalk with the darn thing so we can all share? Not on your life, buddy! The morification of this is that she is now training the other 4 or 5 children in her care, that it is unnecessary to be polite and share.
Samuel moves quickly and now without even a second thought to share the sidewalk. It's just what he does.
He's a good boy.

Miss Pamyla 

So, I tried to be very creative in all the descriptions on my profile. It cut me off.
I even tried to separate each word with a comma so that it would all show up.
It still cut me off.
I totally hate that.

Blogging

It's odd to me that we are now a generation of people who write on a computer instead of writing letters to keep people informed about our lives.
Here's my latest pet peeve.
I like to collect books of people's letters that have been published. Do you realize that this whole generation will miss out on people's private moments because letter-writing is at an all-time low? Where will the books come from that contain the letters to author's friends, or some public figures' private relationship, or some military figures' written thoughts back to his wife. If Winston Churchill had had email, we would not know anything about how the man thought. That TOTALLY bugs me. I don't know why, but it just does.
Perhaps it is because I have friends with whom I correspond with completely through email. Once that email is deleted, the only remembrance of it is my own perception. Some day, I will be an old woman, and I will wish I had a stack of envelopes from some secret love, wrapped in a ribbon, so that I can re-read them and remind myself of distant times.
Ah well, times they are a-changing......