Archive for the ‘Family History’ Category

Pop was the center of attention for his birthday week and loved every minute. We started celebrating on June 9 and didn’t stop until June 16! Crystal bought the grass umbrella and ’someone’ had the brilliant idea of attaching it to the back of Pop’s electric scooter. Not only did it provide shade for him, but it identified him easily in the crowd and looked very festive.

We had 33 people stay the weekend in 8 motorhomes, 3 tents, 5 boats and 1 airplane and another 88 arriving just for the big day. 121 people took part in the festivities, including a fishing derby arranged by cousin Keith, a hula hoop contest, badminton and water gun shooting, along with enough food to feed a small army.

Wednesday afternoon my sister-in-law Ann and I painted signs our friend Emily drew for us. There were 6 large sheets of plasticized foam which welcomed the Griffith family and friends to our 2008 Luau/Birthday party.

The setup was started on Thursday after we gathered all the picnic tables from the campsites. Pop ran the John Deere lawn mower, pulling the trailer and Mike & Gus loaded the tables. Many people hosed, scrubbed and moved tables into place. Thursday evening most of us went to the Backeddy Pub for dinner and a few drinks. Friday evening we enjoyed a potluck dinner outside at Pop’s.

Saturday started out with a pancake breakfast by Lee-Ann and Jonathon, then fish chowder by Kent, for lunch. People arrived all day long and Mike, Dorhn and Alan barbecued hot dogs and hamburgers around 5 pm. Many people made potato salad, appetizers and desserts and Graeme boiled corn on the cob as well. I don’t think anyone went home hungry!

It was difficult for me to find jobs for everyone who offered to help, but I delegated as best I could and I must say many people didn’t need direction at all but pitched in to make the whole day a huge success. One really nice touch I found out about the next day was Tracy and Rhonda went around to each table and sliced the pineapple which had been part of the decor before dinner.

Lee-Ann made a lovely birthday cake for Grandpa - white cake with white frosting and strawberries - his favourite! Sean and Crystal made a huge sash of scratch tickets for Grandpa to wear around his neck. He will be scratching for weeks!

I’ll let the pictures tell the story of family and friends joining together to celebrate 95 years! You may see more photos and a write up at cousin Judy’s blog.

Party plans are coming together!

Ann, Kent and I loaded Kent’s truck with another load of scrap iron yesterday morning while Pop watched to make sure we didn’t throw out any of his good stuff. I think there was only one little spat about ‘how long HAS it been since you needed that?’. Whatever, he’s officially 95 and if he wants to keep something, he can have it. We swept out the gas shed after re-organizing, then went to work in the ‘big shop’.

Kent moved the heavy stuff, Pop sorted, discarded and organized while Ann and I swept, then loaded Pop’s truck with a load to go to the dump.

We left about noon, stopped briefly at the museum to discuss the ‘Griffith Family Re-union’ plans and a few ideas I had. I took their garbage and away we went, stopping at Pender Harbour Diesel to drop off two old batteries. The $4.00 they charge goes toward a bursary fund - so that’s a great way to help others.

The dump was closed - grrrrrrrrrr….. we missed it by 20 minutes. Kleindale Nurseries next for Ann to choose a birthday present of a Rosemary plant for Pop. We hope the deer will hate it and it will help protect the rose plant she bought him two years ago.

While Ann ordered a hamburger and fries for our lunch, I grocery shopped. We ate our lunch in the truck, then we picked up the beer and wine for the party. The Vet’s office was the last stop in Madeira.

We totally missed Joyce’s quilting day which she hosts every Tuesday, but we stopped in to say hello anyway and Bill and Joyce agreed to meet us at the Pub for Pop’s birthday dinner which was a day late as he wasn’t feeling very good yesterday. I guess turning 95 can do that to a person!

Next, was the museum again for a brief confab with Beverley, who told me Kent phoned to say Emily phoned and wanted to make the party signs today if possible as she and Greg were going camping in Granville Bay for a couple of nights. I dropped the cans and bottles at the Thrift store then stopped at the Pub to see if Emily was still there. We missed her but she phoned half an hour later when we were back at Pop’s.

We barely had time to get the beer and groceries put away, get the sign material out, and Emily arrived. She, Ann and I worked on the signs until 6 (with Kent critiquing and supplying beer and being our ‘gofer’).

Emily drew out all the lettering and hibiscus flowers and showed us how to paint them, so we’ll complete the 6 piece signs today!

I have to go back to Madeira today with Pop, to the dump then stop at the museum to pick up brochures and invitations for the ‘Griffith family and friends’ to visit the museum Sunday morning at 10:30 to noon for coffee, donuts and FREE admission. Nice huh? I hope lots of the guests will!

Kent is leaving for town this morning as he is involved in a golf tournament tomorrow and has an appointment Friday morning, then he’ll be back to join the party.

Sunday morning, Pop and I loaded his pickup with the accumulation of supplies he bought over the winter months and headed to Egmont. As we drove toward Vancouver, the North Shore mountains appeared in the high clouds - covered in new snow. Snow glistened off the roofs of houses high on the mountainside, making them stand out. When were those houses built? I hadn’t noticed them until the bright snow made them ultra visible.

The ferry was on time and we were in the wheel chair lane so loaded second which is great when you want to get to the cafeteria before the huge lines! I bought lunch for us and we ate in the truck.

Since I changed our plans to leave home Sunday instead of Monday, the Sechelt income tax office was closed. Pop said, “That’s one of the reasons I planned our trip for Monday instead of Sunday”. Ya, well, it’s not ALL about you Pop, I didn’t say, but that’s how I felt. I love Pop dearly and would do just about anything to make his life smooth - at nearly 95 he deserves that I think!!! He likes to make plans and stick with them but he knows Kent and I are absolutely certain to change his plans at the last minute. I always try to accomodate his plans, Kent’s plans, Crystal’s plans and my own, and they don’t always jive, so I’m flexible and ‘work it out’. I explained to him the hours Crystal is working this week together with her school schedule and how it is more important ‘WE’ fit her schedule so she doesn’t have to take time off to give me a ride home, from whatever location I return to.

At this point, I didn’t know if I’d take the bus home, get Pop to drive me to the ferry in Langdale or if I might happen to catch a ride with someone.

We stopped for gas then groceries (again with Pop ‘mentioning’ how if we’d traveled on Monday the liquor store and the bank would have been open). I got out to put the scooter lift down for Pop while he struggled with his seatbelt, the door, his cane and the cat. As opened the door to stand up, the damn cat darted out and ran. I set my purse in the bed of the pickup and went after him. Poor little Sylvester knew immediately he was in a strange place and looked for somewhere to hide. I tried to stay calm and talk to him while Pop stood and watched and worried. I could hear someone in the distance say, ‘Oh, look at the cat!” Sylvester led me around the IGA building, just out of reach, running each time I got close. I lunged for his tail when he was under a table and I didn’t let go. I had to pull him backwards, but got him, scolded him and carried his shivering little body back to the truck.

Pop had his scooter down by this time and he suggested I go get started on the shopping. Okay then, I grabbed a shopping cart and headed in to do my duty. 3 minutes in to the store, I realized I didn’t have my purse. WTF? I’m never that careless to leave it in the vehicle, but I knew I’d locked the truck doors and the parking lot was nearly empty. This was Madeira Park, you know - an area where the only thieves who’d steal anything are the crows. I turned to go back outside and there was Pop right behind me on his scooter with my purse in his basket. He’d noticed it in the back of the pickup and brought it to me. I was amazed! Nope, life wasn’t all about him at all - he’d saved my bacon when I least expected it. Thanks Pop!

25 minutes and we were ‘home’. I unlocked the gate, let Sylvester out of the truck, with Pop saying, “I wouldn’t have let him out until we got up to the house”. Cats are smart - heck, I think he’d have found his way to Pop’s all the way from Madeira Park if I’d left him… Actually, I wouldn’t have left him. I’d have waited him out and told Pop that which. Anyway… Sylvester beat us to the door of the house.

I unpacked the truck while Pop unloaded his scooter and went to the service building to turn on the water. Everything looked great around the house - inside and out. The grass is growing and will need cutting soon. The rhodos and lilacs are budding, the foxgloves I planted last year are growing like weeds and of course the weeds are growing fastest of all.

Pop and I worked for an hour unpacking and putting away. Pop makes good use of the scooter and has a system for unloading. He lifts whatever bags or boxes he can handle onto the scooter bed and rides the stuff to the porch or the picnic table and unloads. At 95 minus 2 months, he more than pulls his weight! Finally we had most of his goods put away and he said, “Well, I think we’ll be ready for a drink in another hour”. I said, “I don’t think I’m waiting another hour!”

I threw a yam in the oven to bake and Pop fried us a T-bone steak. By 8 o’clock I was ready for bed, thinking I’d read for an hour or so. I hit the pillow and my lights went out - for 12 hours. I woke 4 or 5 times through the night, as is usual for me, but it felt good to be back in Egmont!

My Granddaughter came to visit tonight to make Valentine Cookies with me. I had the dough ready to make sugar cookies and it was chilling in the fridge when she arrived.

Kaia is 5 and is an experienced cookie maker! She knows how to flour the board, roll the dough and to cut the cookies near the edge of the dough to get as many as possible. We played Pat-a-Cake and she sang the song to me (funny how I seem to have forgotten the words). While the cookies baked we made beautiful pink icing, then decorated the cookies using the an icing bag and pretty fluted tip.

I put a nice little pink icing rosette on the tip of Kaia’s nose and she ran to find ‘Bapa’ to give him a Valentine’s cookie. He didn’t realize she was the cookie and he was supposed to lick the icing off her nose, but he figured it out!

After we cleaned up the whole box of sprinkles from the floor - which I dropped - we placed beautiful silver balls and red and white sprinkles on the icing.

The cookies turned out beautifully! We made some lovely memories, baking together. Kaia asked me what Valentine’s Day is for. I was at a loss for a few minutes but told her it was a special day to tell people you love them, and making cookies together was my way of showing I love her.

This was Kaia’s THIRD day skiing! This proud Grandma is nearly speechless