HAPPY HALLOWEEN MEMORIES

 

 

 

It’s that time for the goblins and spookies to come out again, and as usual, I wonder where the year went!

 

 

I never was a huge Halloween fan….at least until I was too old to go out door to door and collect all that delicious candy that was so different from the stuff they give out now.  I can remember when my sister and two brothers and I would come home, exhausted and so thirsty from running as fast as we could, to trick or treat at every house we could, in almost a race to make our bags full and almost too heavy to carry, which then, was time to go home, exhausted!!!What a relief to get those fabric stiff masks, they use to make, finally off our face, which by this time was soaked from sweat, and saliva as we licked our dry lips through that little hole for a mouth.

We’d dump our haul out in different piles, on the floor and then set aside all the good stuff, like the homemade fudge, and the popcorn balls, and fresh baked cookies wrapped in pretty coloured cellophane, as this was the goldmine of the pile! The apples, we throw into another pile to discard, (or give to mom for applesauce), not because we where afraid of razor blades, but just because who would eat apples for treats when we had every sweet in front of us to make our life a happy place! Those little chocolate bars sold today; heck, they where the size of a normal chocolate bar you pay over a dollar for now!! Not to mention we didn’t fear that our candy was tampered with by evil minds.

Then, the trading would go on, between us kids…I’ll give you two of these for that  one of yours!!! Then, that statement from Mom, or Dad, we knew was coming very soon “Okay kids, one more candy and then you have to put them away and go to bed!” Aw Shucks!!!

It was a fun time back then, but I have one Halloween, that stands out as the best and most memorable Halloween of my entire life.

This is me on the left and my Grandson Brad, when he reached that age, where he just felt too embarrassed to go out, yet was feeling a little bad about growing too old to now miss this fun night.

 So with much persuasion, I got him to agree to let’s make this a special occasion and just go have a fun time. We got ourselves dressed up, in what we had and out we went. I had on a rubber mask which was extremely hot and there was a facial steam bath going on under it, and I had tiny little pinholes to look through. I had to depend on Brad to lead me from stumbling over steps and banging into walls. But, he had the most fun, doing just that! He’s walk me under low hanging branches, and would bend over with laughter at my wig falling off, and me crawling around trying to find it again. He’d tell me there were a steps or two to climb, when there was none and I’d be taking big high steps, as I heard his giggle!!He’d tell me there was a doorbell to ring and place my gloved  finger on a screw on the door jam and I’d press it, and he’d be in hysterics when I’d push it over and over again, and complain when nobody came to the door. We laughed ourselves silly that night, as arm and arm, on and on to each door we’d trick or treat. Me, using a high pitched voice, in case I was recognized…as if!!

It was a night I’ll never forget and when Brad told his Mom the next day, that it was the best Halloween, he ever had, I nearly cried…it certainly brought a tear, because I had made a wonderful memory between us both, that will last our lifetimes. Halloween for him and his hopefully long life, will always bring back this memory of us and this night back for him.

I have most of my pictures of my Grandchildren at home, but a couple I’m proud to show you. These is Erin and Sarah, my cute Granddaughters at different ages. I hate to say, that living in Vancouver and with them in Ontario, I’m regretting so much, not being able to be making memories with them as well. We miss out on so much!

My little Harem Girls, and then the Beatniks!!!

 The wicked witch and Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.    My daughter Erin, as Methuselah, and a head full of snakes!!

I have another Grandson, Matthew who is now 20, and I have many memories of him in his Power Ranger costume, his Superman with flowing red cape outfit and his Pirate outfit, complete with the toy swords he loved, but no pictures here in BC for me to show you! But, they are very vivid in my memory, and how I  loved to watch how excited he would be…just like my brothers and sister used to be when we where of that age.

Halloween for me now is so different…and so it should be, but I mean, in a very different way. Back in Belleville, we’d get a hundred or so kids, knocking at the door, and it was fun to see the little ones. Now, we live in on the 7th floor in a security building, and I can just look over the balcony now and see them toddling down the street, and hear the excitement as they race door to door. But, another very different custom here is the fireworks!! It’s a firework crazy night here, with whizzer’s and bangers and bright sprays of colour lighting up the sky everywhere you look! It’s great until about bedtime, but when it continues well into the wee hours of the morning, with the older “FOOLS”, still out, cavorting and likely causing problems, then Halloween and fireworks becomes not so much fun anymore. We just get to sleep and BANG!!! It happens over and over again!! BANG! “curse”, BANG!, “curse!!!” That’s me doing the cursing!!!

Have Fun Kids, and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Onward HO….

to

…

AHHHHHH, STOP GROANING!!!!!

Clugston-Lindsay, Adolphe Guttin, Isabella Hunter Saunders, Mary E. Willoughby and the great hunt of Genealogy

Genealogy…I was warned not to start it. I was warned, it would become a habit, it would be frustrating, mindboggling, an unending, unsolvable puzzle that would leave you discouraged, ready to throw up your hands and quit, as you sit there with tired sore eyes, searching through the internet for old census, old phone books, old documents, trying to piece it all together and maybe end up with one small bit of information after days of searching…your reward….is it worth it….I was warned!!

I think I’ve asked all the oldest family members that I can ask, and drained them of all information of long ago, that is slowly with time, slipping from their minds. Why didn’t I ask questions earlier when it wasn’t so long ago and the people who knew could have told me…if only I’d asked!! Oh to wind back the clock!! However youth isn’t interested in that old stuff, but eventually the question will arise as they reach themselves, into the season of their advancing years….where did I come from, what is my history? Who am I?

Then, there are some family member’s with promises to go through that old box of pictures and documents, they have stored away in the attic, that could possibly help me get a few clues further into this treasure hunt of information. However, my interest, isn’t theirs, although, the end result for us all would be to know where we came from, what our history was, and how thankful we are to be here.

If only they knew what goes into this family search!!

The picture above is of my Grandmother, and I love this picture! Her name was Rachel (Clugston) Lindsay, and the picture was taken before she set sail from Ireland to Canada with all these, her children, to meet up with her husband John, who came earlier to find work, and have a home ready for them. My mother is sitting on her right, about age 7.

The settled in Owen Sound, Ontario. Right now, I’m on the hunt for the year and the ship and where they landed in Canada.

Now, once you start with this Genealogy, it’s very difficult to remain on one branch, as suddenly you find yourself sliding, or climbing up another branch of the family tree. This is where you triple the frustration!!

Below: is the branch of the family I started with, my father’s French side.

Below, another picture I love is of my Great-Grandfather, Adolph Regis, Guttin, and my Great-Grandmother, Isabella Hunter Saunders. My Great-Grandfather came from Moirans, (Isere) France in 1870. He met my Great-Grandmother here in Canada, married, and began a family, one of their children being Reginald,who married Mary Emma Willoughby who had a son Adolphe, who married my mother Gladys Julia, Lindsay, who had a daughter, being me!

Along with some great help from my Cousin Dorothy, my Aunt Irene, sister Roxanne and from a second Cousin Shannon, and a GREAT deal of help from Fabrice, a wonderful man in France who came in via the internet, to help us with a treasure trove of information, that he has searched for, right from where Fabrice, as well as my Grandfather’s family lived! He has taken so much of his time and expense to help us and through this, Shannon and myself have made a wonderful friend with this very giving person of who we are VERY thankful!!

Anyway, I’ve been reading books and magazines on genealogy, I bought a genealogy program, and I sit for hours at the Library on their free edition of Ancestry.Com, plus have taken a course on how to search for Ancestors. I’ve talked to relatives, and pretty well have exhausted my search for the moment…..only for the moment!! It’s tiring!! I need a break!! The thing is…without help, will I ever continue it? Sad if I don’t!

Here is a wonderful poem I came across years ago, and found it again just lately. It’s a beautiful poem and it really explains how this searching for our past can be so frustrating.

The Census Taker

It was the first day of census, and all through the land;
The pollster was ready ... a black book in hand.
He mounted his horse for a long dusty ride;
His book and some quills were tucked close by his side.
A long winding ride down a road barely there;
Toward the smell of fresh bread wafting, up through the air.
The woman was tired, with lines on her face;
And wisps of brown hair she tucked back into place.
She gave him some water ... as they sat at the table;
And she answered his questions ... the best she was able.
He asked of her children... Yes, she had quite a few;
The oldest was twenty, the youngest not two.
She held up a toddler with cheeks round and red;
his sister, she whispered, was napping in bed.
She noted each person who lived there with pride;
And she felt the faint stirrings of the wee one inside.
He noted the sex, the color, the age...
The marks from the quill soon filled up the page.
At the number of children, she nodded her head;
And saw her lips quiver for the three that were dead.
The places of birth she "never forgot";
Was it Kansas? or Utah? or Oregon ... or not?
They came from Scotland, of that she was clear;
But she wasn't quite sure just how long they'd been here.
They spoke of employment, of schooling and such;
They could read some .and write some .. though really not much.
When the questions were answered, his job there was done;
So he mounted his horse and he rode toward the sun.
We can almost imagine his voice loud and clear;
"May God bless you all for another ten years."
Now picture a time warp ... its' now you and me;
As we search for the people on our family tree.
We squint at the census and scroll down so slow;
As we search for that entry from long, long ago.
Could they only imagine on that long ago day;
That the entries they made would effect us this way?
If they knew, would they wonder at the yearning we feel;
And the searching that makes them so increasingly real.
We can hear if we listen the words they impart;
Through their blood in our veins and their voice in our heart.
Author : Darlene Stevens

STANLEY PARK IN AUTUMN

Today, it’s pouring rain and has been all last night and all day today. Yesterday, was the opposite, warm, sunny and a marvelous day to be touring around part of Stanley Park in Vancouver.

I promise you no close up of birds!!

Some happy monster trees with smiling faces! Cute!!

I’m kind of partial to this picture. Too bad the ships, wouldn’t show up better, but I love the tree!!

I quickly took this pictures as we where driving, as too many impatient people behind us wouldn’t slow down to see the beauty!

 

I ran and kicked up the leaves as I walked through here!! I love walking in the leaves!! That’s the seawall down below, which is on the opposite side of the water from us.

I love the ivy growing up the tree’s.

Look’s a little eerie, doesn’t it?

Now, I know I promised no birds, but this was crazy!!! Look at all those birds gathered together. Very weird!!

Was it just bath time??

This is from Prospect Point, looking toward where we live on the North Shore.

Big ships, little ships, and ohhh nooo, a bird!

This is far I could zoom across the water to where we live. See the tall building with the angles in the middle? We are the building to the right of it.

From here to there! I’m actually amazed it picked it up so well!

Below: Standing on a built out platform over the water, as high as the bridge, and other airplane! They always get in the pictures, as they fly constantly back and forth to Vancouver Island.

Remember….if you want to see a larger picture from these little ones, just click on them and they will enlarge.

 

 

 

Siwash Rock…Below

What a great place to be on a nice day!

I had “High Tea” one day here with the Red Hat Ladies. It was delightful!

We are now over at what I think Tom said was “Second Beach”.

This is a huge, fenced in swimming pool. Look at all the clam shells on the pool deck! Covered in them, likely dropped by smart birds in order to break the clams open, so they can feed on the inside.

 

Emily Pauline Johnson (Tekahionwake) (10 March 1861 – 7 March 1913), commonly known as E. Pauline Johnson or just Pauline Johnson, was a Canadian writer and performer popular in the late 19th century. Johnson was notable for her poems and performances that celebrated her First Nations heritage. One such poem is the frequently anthologized "The Song My Paddle Sings". Her poetry was published in Canada, the United States and Great Britain. Johnson was one of a generation of widely read writers who began to define a Canadian literature.

Kind of an odd spot for a monument for Pauline Johnson, in a dark little corner of the woods!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WELL…I’ve taken you around one small part of Stanley Park. I hope you enjoyed the little trip, with the beautiful colours. I wish you could see all of the 100 pictures I took yesterday!!