Again I wasn't too sure how to title this but I really wanted to share what happened while we were away last week.
My family(DH and the 3 kids) and I drove to Nova Scotia to take my mom's ashes to where she grew up. As some of you know my mom suffered a terrible stroke and was ill for some time. It was very hard on all the family and I still have alot of difficulty dealing with her loss.
Anyway, our road trip was something out of National Lampoons for sure. I did write alot in a journal while we were in the van as I think someday it could make a great movie. I told my DH that Will Farrow would have to play him.
But what I wanted to share were the events of my mom's memorial. My mom's younger brother and wife planned the day as I just didn't know how to do it. They live out in the country on Cape Breton Island, on the Mira River and it is where my mom spent her summers in her younger days and she often went back in the summer to visit family(as did I for many years).
Now my mom's favorite colour is Lime Green, so my uncle bought a Lime Green Lawn chair and set it up on a hill over looking the river on his property near a little garden. My mom's cousin's planted a tree, there. The day started out nice and DH and I ran around doing errands while the kids help set up. Over 60 people were expected(abit much for me). And 20 minutes before we were to start the sky's opened up and it hailed and rained and thundered and there was lightening. So needless to say we could not go out side. It was a good thing that their place is large. So we began inside. My aunt said a few words and we sang a couple of songs and then we let go 45 coloured ballons(red, yellow, white and green) and everyone visited and we ate. After awhile people left as the rain wasn't letting up. After many people had left and there was only a few very close relatives, the rain suddenly stopped and the sun peeked out. We decided to spread my mom's ashes then. There were about 20 of us.
We went up on the little hill overlooking the water and the most incredible thing had happened(now I am not very good at telling things well) But when we looked out at the water there were 6 Lime Green Balloons floating in the water. No other colours, it was as if they were waiting. I do have pictures at home to show them. Again my aunt said a few words and my uncle spread my mom's ashes and everyone sang a song my mom loved. And when we finished the balloons floated away. It was the most unbelievable thing ever.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Friday, September 15, 2006
Back to High School
I know it has been awhile since I have written anything here. I keep trying to come up with something funny or reflective or even remotely interesting but it never seems to happen.
I would like to share something that I did last night though.
My oldest son has started grade 9. He seems to be loving it. I was so worried about his transition but he is in heaven. Of course he hasn't had alot of homework or tests yet. The first tests were today so we will see what that does to his mood. He has a large number of friends attending the school and he is a real social butterfly and makes friends easily and what makes me happy is that he likes to be friends with all types of people and is not as cliquish as his sister(which I hope she grows out of soon.) And of course for him school is still about the social thing, marks don't seem to worry him, that is until he has to tell us about his marks-different story.
He has made the football team which has added to his joy, not sure how much he will play as he is still very small in stature but he just likes being part of the team.
So my night last night, it was a cirriculum night at the school. Of course my son was too busy with his active life to attend, so I went alone. It brought back all the bad memories of high school for me. We went to the auditorium first to listen to the principals and teachers, I was desparately looking for another parent that I knew so I could feel more comfortable, a friend found me(she was childless also). Then we had to follow the child's class schedule to find out about the classes. So we had to follow maps and find rooms, sit in the chairs and listen to the teacher but then rush to the next room when the bell rang.
The first room wasn't too hard to find as I knew another mom and we walked together.
Science was the first class when the teacher started talking about the Periodic Table I thought I would faint-I still can't remember anything beyond H20.
It was easy to find the next class-French, as it was a portable next to the football hut-which I had seen many mornings already. The teacher seemed nice. Next was computers, the teacher talked alot, I was warned by my son but the teacher was nice. There were teachers providing directions in the hall. But when the bell rang the teacher continued and I started to panice about the next class.
When we got out of there it all fell apart. I got so lost. Who would think that I couldn't find the gym? Who would know that there would be more than one gym? Anyway, I ended up in the girls' phys ed class and then in an empty gym. I never did find where I was supposed to be. One person told me that the teacher wasn't at the school that night but who knows, I could still be wandering if I hadn't given up. It felt like being back in high school for me, lost and feeling out of sorts. And then I had to come home and tell my son everything that I did, saw and said. Now I know how he feels at the end of the day with way too many questions coming from my mouth.
It made me feel proud that he is growing up and feeling confident in himself but said that he is growing up. Hopefully next time we go to the school he can come with me and show me the way.
Have a great weekend.
Marye Anne
I would like to share something that I did last night though.
My oldest son has started grade 9. He seems to be loving it. I was so worried about his transition but he is in heaven. Of course he hasn't had alot of homework or tests yet. The first tests were today so we will see what that does to his mood. He has a large number of friends attending the school and he is a real social butterfly and makes friends easily and what makes me happy is that he likes to be friends with all types of people and is not as cliquish as his sister(which I hope she grows out of soon.) And of course for him school is still about the social thing, marks don't seem to worry him, that is until he has to tell us about his marks-different story.
He has made the football team which has added to his joy, not sure how much he will play as he is still very small in stature but he just likes being part of the team.
So my night last night, it was a cirriculum night at the school. Of course my son was too busy with his active life to attend, so I went alone. It brought back all the bad memories of high school for me. We went to the auditorium first to listen to the principals and teachers, I was desparately looking for another parent that I knew so I could feel more comfortable, a friend found me(she was childless also). Then we had to follow the child's class schedule to find out about the classes. So we had to follow maps and find rooms, sit in the chairs and listen to the teacher but then rush to the next room when the bell rang.
The first room wasn't too hard to find as I knew another mom and we walked together.
Science was the first class when the teacher started talking about the Periodic Table I thought I would faint-I still can't remember anything beyond H20.
It was easy to find the next class-French, as it was a portable next to the football hut-which I had seen many mornings already. The teacher seemed nice. Next was computers, the teacher talked alot, I was warned by my son but the teacher was nice. There were teachers providing directions in the hall. But when the bell rang the teacher continued and I started to panice about the next class.
When we got out of there it all fell apart. I got so lost. Who would think that I couldn't find the gym? Who would know that there would be more than one gym? Anyway, I ended up in the girls' phys ed class and then in an empty gym. I never did find where I was supposed to be. One person told me that the teacher wasn't at the school that night but who knows, I could still be wandering if I hadn't given up. It felt like being back in high school for me, lost and feeling out of sorts. And then I had to come home and tell my son everything that I did, saw and said. Now I know how he feels at the end of the day with way too many questions coming from my mouth.
It made me feel proud that he is growing up and feeling confident in himself but said that he is growing up. Hopefully next time we go to the school he can come with me and show me the way.
Have a great weekend.
Marye Anne
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