40 years ago

I would like to start my story with a little disclaimer. These recollections are from a long time ago. I was just a wee lassie. So keep in mind Jim especially is way older than me, so his memories might be a little different.

Once upon a time back in the late 60’s, Jim and Eileen’s hippie stage. Long hair, thick mustache, wide jeans what on earth Eileen saw in my brother I had no idea. But one day I come in the door and mom and dad are having this great discussion on whether they had just seen their good friends Jean and Jimmy Austin's daughter walking down the street. “NO they said it couldn't be”. “Why on earth would she be down in this neighborhood”. And then they glance over at Jim. Jim moves into his normal evasion mode. Which usually means see you going to Stuie’s. Well shortly after that the phone calls started.

Back then there was one phone and it was attached to the wall so you sat and talked where the phone was. So there was Jim having these long conversations which mom and dad thought was so strange. How could you talk for so long. And the fact that my dad couldn't hear a word he was saying irritated him like crazy. He always said Jim was just pretending to be on the phone and he was just going pss pss pss. Well it didn't take long for Jim to get tired of my dad trying to listen to his conversation and lucky me Jim had his own phone installed and he gave me an extension. Only rule being when he wanted to use it I had to get off.

Deal. This was awesome.

Life went on and I seemed to have almost exclusive use of the phone. Jim just didn't seem to be home very much. Well when Jim gets his mind set on something chances are he is going to get it and his mind was all about Eileen. Without anyone knowing he had gone out and rented an apartment. He was 19.

A couple of months go by and it's getting close to Christmas, my dad leaves for work and I hear Jim call my mom and say he needs to talk. My ears perk up. And I can't make out a thing all I could make out was. It's ok we'll deal with it when dad gets home. Omg how am I going to wait all day. Jim never gets in trouble. This is awesome.

It's a Friday night. I can't go out I have to find out what is going on. My dad comes home. Mom and dad and Jim go out. I'm dying. What is happening. You can probably guess Jim had made up his mind and he was getting married on Saturday. And a beautiful wedding it was, Eileen had on a beautiful blue dress with a circle of flowers in her hair, it was enchanting. Jim still looked like a very hairy Prince Charming. Off we all went to a great party at Jimmy and Jeans that went to the wee hours of the morning, where they were surrounded by their loving family and friends, who got more loving the more rum they drank.

Soon after this I got to see my cool brother’s apartment and sitting on their dresser was a cute little plastic figurine of a couple on a park bench with their heads touching. The saying at the bottom said

Me and you
You and me
That's the way
It will always be

The love that resonated through that apartment 40 years ago is even stronger today. Their love for each other reaches out and embraces their family and friends. And we are all very lucky to have shared in their life together. Congratulations and cheers. Love you both

It seemed like a good idea at the time?

Can't help but remember the year that my daughter Rachel really learned how to count. All of a sudden she was under the tree counting how many presents she had compared to the boys. Needless to say this became a huge issue as we all liking have presents under the tree from December first. (Santa brought his special presents on Christmas Eve). But having tears flowing because David had more presents was becoming a real issue. There wasn't anything I could do for this year (around 1994) but I was fixing it for the next year.

So Christmas 1995 comes around and in my infinite wisdom I figure I will code the presents with numbers. Everyone was so excited, there were break the code meetings. This must be a Barbie so that code must mean Rachel. And then the counting started again. By Christmas day I was at my wits end with them. We sort all the presents and as usual everyone has the same number of presents. So "mom what's the code". I go to my desk drawer to get the code breaking sheet and it is gone. Pandemonium breaks out. Luckily Rachel's presents held no interest for the boys, but there were definitely a few issues with the boys. LOL. That code was thrown out the window now I had to thnik up another idea for the next year. O:)

We've been Adopted

Like me our 3 little cats can't wait for the spring. The birds and chipmunks are back running around in the backyard and when we open that patio door, our cats are lined up waiting to say hello. This year turned out to be a little different. Around May a number of different cats started coming to visit us. And then our cat, particularly Cleo would disappear for hours at a time. Friends would see our cats and then these different cats wandering around the neighbourhood together. One of these cats was quite young and very vocal. He would come up and meow and meow, not quietly either he was also very LOUD and very friendly and not scared of our older cats at all. Well the rule was no feeding the other cats. Which meant watching David like a hawk, I was pretty sure he would sneak him treats. 3 is enough, we did suggesst that David take him home.

Along came August and off we went on holiday. Our cats were locked inside for a week. They were not happy. Ilse our neighbour came and fed them but didn't feel comfortable letting them out, so they learned to cope.

After being away for a week, we were all excited about seeing the cats and they were so excited to see us. Who am I kidding. They were a little standoffish to say the least and as soon as that door opened they were gone. And there on the deck was this little gray cat. Looking quite skinny and forlorn but still just as yakky. This is when we realized that this little cat was sneaking in the window and eating the cat food. He had now gone a week without food. So out comes a bowl of food, he wolves it down. For the next 3 weeks he appeared every morning and evening for his bowl of food, usually in the morning he was sitting comfortably on the lounge chair waiting for us to get up. Now and again he would let us rub him. Then I hear squeals of excitement as he let Rachel pick him up and just cuddled into her arms.

The discussion about what to do with him went on and on. The weather is now changing, he started coming in at night when it was raining but couldn't settle, although he did steal the main chair in the family room and the other cats all let him away with it. He now recognizes the sound of the can opening, the crackel the treat bag makes and the sound of dry food being filled up.

The decision was made to take him down to the vets. I get the cage, Andrew gets Oliver (yes we named him after Oliver Twist). Oliver sees the cage, picture Garfield with all 4 legs sticking out horizontally and squirming like crazy. Andrew gets two legs in, the other two won't go, then Oliver goes limp, Andrew relaxes and Oliver bolts, gone for the rest of the day.

Another 2 weeks go buy and we decide to try again, this time we get him in the cage, he is tossing himself around inside this cage. But we persevere and off to the vet we go. Well Oliver is 18 months old, no fleas, tics or problems, a very healthy little cat and no CHIP, so no owner that we can find. Out comes the needle and we get him up to date with his shots.

Life goes on with Oliver deciding what to do, needless to say most nights he is inside now, he insists on getting fed first, so that he can finish off everyone elses food.

I guess we have passed his adoption test, wonder what he will think when he gets fixed next month.

He is so bossy

I can't believe how bossy he is, he just yells at me all day. He's got to go!!! And no I'm not talking about your DAD. I'm talking about OLIVER.

FEED ME FEED ME FEED ME, RUB ME RUB ME, FEED ME, that's all he says all day.

Stan has been all over my desk, walking on my keyboard, rubbing my hand to get me to stop typing and go and get him a treat. So there are no treats in the house, so he decides to go outside as none of his charms are working on me. Meanwhile Cle Bear comes in and very politely asks for something, preferably a treat. So I go in the kitchen with her and put my hand in the dry food bag and pick up the empty treat bag and give her the dry food, of which she quite politely gobbles them all down. Jimmy needless to say is upstairs sleeping through all this.

Who appears next but Oliver, he follows me around, tries to rip the chair apart with his nails, jumps up on my desk, thinks about spraying on my computer and plops himself down in Stan and Cle Bears spot. Then he starts howling, FEED ME FEED ME.

I can't bear anymore, Cle bear is now back in. So I go and open them a can of food. Cle bear eats the gravy, Oliver finishes his and howls at me FEED ME SOME MORE, and then notices Cle's. He finishes that. I come back to the computer and who should appear but Stan the Man. So I go to feed him the little bit that I saved him and who comes racing back again but FEED ME FEED ME OLIVER. I have to feed Stanley on the counter and stand guard, while Oliver is MEOWING, like crazy. Poor Stan is twiching like crazy as he wolves down his dinner. He then jumps over the high part of the kitchen counter as he knows Oliver is around somewhere and skedaddles back outside. He left 3 pieces of food, guess what Oliver ate that too.

A Great Man would be 87 today

How do you describe how much you miss your dad. After two and a half years I still think of him every day. His stories, his laughter, his antics, his love for me. Last night again I dreamt about my mom and dad and the last thought as I woke up was that he was still taking care of me. In the actual dream I was going to a bar and had no money and my friend pointed this out to me and my attitude was "my dad will give me money" "he always took care of me" (notice the theme bar - money - a definite dad thing). It left me with a wonderful calm feeling of love surrounding me. I would love to receive one more dad hug, the hug that means you are being protected. So today I will think of him often and I will take a deep breath and know that he is part of that calm feeling that will surround me today, on this special day of his. Love you dad, happy birthday, may Heaven Happy Hour last all day.

When he careses my arm

Sitting quietly I suddenly feel the most loving caress imaginable, down the back of my arm. Shivers run down my spine. By closing my eyes I can conjure this touch up at any time. I know he loves me totally. And when I look down and see his little face staring up at me with eyes wide open beseeching me to follow him, I always do, and he always gets his way. My little Stanley, LOL.