Good Morning All CVH members:
A quiet Sunday morning, not doing much. Waiting for Monday to go to the pool, Tuesday finally having our conds's rugs cleaned and then have a good housecleaning to keep the condo fresh for the summer. Actually removing some memories made by John, spilled coffee by his chair, spilled meds by his bed, dirt tracks from his wheelchair showing in the rug where he went and spent the days.
I haven't put up the window shades and don;t know if I will this summer. Reminds me too much of sitting outside on the patio with John watching the ducks and all in the koi pond. The laughs we shared and watching the sun go down sitting knowing we had little time together. Bittersweet memories but ones I would have never given up.
Jimmie you asked me about my life in the small town where I lived. I finished my grade school, moved up to high school, walked there about over a mile, summer and winter. Came home for lunch and would stop in at the butcher to pick up meat for mom to cook our evening dinner. We would take part in school activities, ie: the school news paper Vox Studentum, I took latin and french in high school and can still conjucte the verbs, etc. femminine and masculine. Math was not my forte but graducated and went to Regina to take business school. Worked and there I met my husband.
John worked on the Royal Canadian Shows and one day he stopped me and asked me where I was going, etc. We bantered and he left with the carnival for other towns in Saskatchewan before heading back to B.C. where the carnival wintered. Before he left as I was walking through the gay way he called to me and said : I am going to Marry you, Mooch" I laughed and went on with my life until one cold day in October I hear a voice calling me. I was walking with friends going to a movie and lo and behold it was John. He had come back for me. Of course, I stopped and went for coffee with him and friends. He had come back from Vancouver searching for me. Went to Simpsons where a lot of girls worked, to the Telephone office, waiting by the doors, went to all the places were working girls had lunch downtown, however, I worked further out and lived only blocks from where the carnival was playing. Fate would have it that he found me.
Of course, my parents weren't too pleased John was a carny but with his smile and winning ways, he could do some carpentry and that helped, they relented and we married in the coldest day of the year, actually the snowiest, but we endured all the time we were married. After we were married I went to work with John on the carnival. Lasted one season and enjoyed every moment of it. Small towns across the prairies, Saskatchwan, Alberta and B.C. Every town we played in seemed to be the same, parents with children, baby buggies, everyone happy to see the Carnival, the games, the monkeys and the elephants. The smell of the popcorn, the cotton candy all over the childrens; faces, a boyfriend winning a teddy bear for his girlfriend, the town lover boy showing he could throw darts and win something by hitting ballons in the ballon joint. Then after their games they came to the Hamburger joint, the smell of the onions wafting in the still hot summer nights. There were churches putting on meals for a few dollars which were so much better than the hot dogs and hamburgers, full meals homemade with pies galore, cakes and all home made. But no, everyone waited for the carnival and the wonderful hot dogs and hamburgers. The owner calling out" Steak and Onions, Wiener lunches" all fortified by the orange crush drink, cold and waiting to wash down this one time luxury dinner as many of the townspeople were pretty poor and a nickle or quarter was a lot to spend.
Sure we had our ups and downs, me from a small town moving to Vancouver what a change but being able to change I became somewhat citified, then we moved to Windsor, Ontario, but no work so John went back to VAncouver and I followed. He went to work on the waterfront and we saved and purchased our first home. All the rest is history. Moved to Lac La Hache, that is in the Cariboo, then back to the Mainland, Chilliwack, then to Langley, B.C. We moved as John was getting very ill and the pollution in the valley was horrendous so we moved away from it and as I was the caregiver then and had all the yard work, etc, the family insisted we make a move before John got too sick. That is the story of our lives, much missed out, however, life has been good to us. We both worked hard at our jobs, worked hard with raising the family, thank god they are okay, no one in jail and that is an accomplishment these days as there are so many things attracting the kids now that we share the anxiety of parents who have children who have various social problems.
We worked hard at our marriage and as such were able to live a good life for 59 years less 5 days and I do not regret one day or minute of being married to John. I do miss him very much as the time goes on. 5 months since his death and I still look for him in various places and ways. I do believe I shall always feel his prescence as time goes on and tears dry up and he knows I miss him so in a way he is there to comfort me during the bad times.
So, Jimmie that is the story of mine and John's life, not a great love affair like Romeo and Juilliette but I do believe fate played a part in our lives. Him from Windsor, Ontario, me from a little town in Saskatchewan, meeting in Regina and from there our lives started a new chapter. Four children, one grandson and as such we shared a life I would not trade for all the gold in the world. Besides, gold loses it glitter while our love for each other seemed to brighten as the years went on.
I relish remembering our lives and I know all onCVH have memories just as precious and writing about them is very helpful and healing I found out. So, if you want share your memories and relive them as I have and realized I had put many of the memories in a safety deposit box and am now opening it and what a treasure.
Hugs to all.
Xenia