I miss those “care packages” she used to send. It’s not that we really needed them, but it gave HER such pleasure to acquire everything. For months on end she’d shop for us and her notes were plenty in those”care Packages” She’d write things like, “Marlene fait bien attention ici” or “Une bonne couleur pour la petite Jenny” and ” Sa vas faire a Etienne je croix” Si sa sadonne pas donne le a du monde qui non besoin” (spelling is not my strong point) And there would be an envelope to be sure with a “few” extra dollars, just in case she missed something we needed. This happened several times a year. I miss those days… Oh and she WAS the queen of recycling, yes even then, way back in those early years. Let me see what I have stored in my memory bank…… String, rope,elastics, plastic bags (all types) paper bags, those little plastic thingies from bread bags and twisties too. All sorts of material that could be turned into cleaning rags. She recycled old fur coats no longer used by anyone and made cushion covers. buttons, safety pins, oh I could go on and on. She loved me unconditionally, like I was one of her children. She even told me on a number of occasions that I was her oldest of the “girls” My heart would soar when she’d say that; You see I lost my mom when I was 10. To be included as one of her kids was just the very best feeling. There will never be another like… My mother-in-law. Je menuis de vous ma belle maman. I miss you, M

As a child growing up we used to spend summers visiting my grandparents…I remember their home, it was filled with music and laughter. Grandma always gave all of us kids the spoons to play as she played her piano…..her smile would light up and it was beautiful…radiant! The music was so very important to me you see, because that is what connected us, her and I, all of us….for me it was our language when I would visit because I couldn’t speak or understand French but I understood her music…it was happy and full of love….my favorite memory of her! When I was around 7 we moved away from Ontario and she used to send my family care packages…I LOVED getting of the neat little things she found here and there, it made me feel so special that she thought of me ( and all of us).Even though we had distance between us…I knew she loved and missed us too. All my life I wanted to learn French so I could better communicate with her and my (French) family, I was never really able to learn the language and have always regreted it. (I plan to put my children in French school to carry on what I wish I had learned I remember bits and pieces of the family home, having baths in the tub, the sunroom in the front where I would spend hours watching people go by, the clothes line out back, the church next door and the crib up stair someone tried to get me to sleep in even though I felt too old,lol, it was an extra bed though ;)….And like my mom said I remember all the things she recycled and reused…a piece of her lives on in me in that way, the things I save that she taught me to reuse, seems so funny to others sometimes, like saving my bread clips, ties and all my bags and elastics etc….I have yet to cut up panty hose to use as bands though nor have I put bacon grease on my bread before freezing it to toast later! LOL Anyways, I just wanted to say how much I love and missed you all these years Grandma, I wish i could have seen you one more time and I wish we could have been closer in so many ways. I have kept most of the little tokens I have from you through the years and they are dear to my heart…little things I know you wanted us to have and things that were in your home and touched by your hands, these things travelled across the miles into our homes and into our hands and somehow alway made me feel closer to you. It meant the world to me these little things , like the little piano I have and handkerchiefs. I carried a special white one down the isle when I got married and used it to wipe my tears of joy and thought of you and Grandpa then… I am so happy my dad got to see you and you him and that family surrounded you with love…I have always loved and missed you… and I still do… Love Always, Jennifer ( Your “Jenny”) xoxox

Lorraine and Huguette, We were sorry to hear of your mom’s passing. Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this difficult time.

You are the best Mémé. Thank you for being so loving and caring.I will remember when you played the piano and we played the spoons and we all sang along, that was great and we are going to miss that. We will remember and miss you forever. Love you and rest and peace. Till we meet again.

Mom, i will always remember you helping the poor and the needy. Your heart was full of love and compassion for your family and others. You most always had a smile and a song in your heart and you loved unconditonally. Thank you for being there for me and loving me. You will always stay close to my heart forever and i want to tell you i miss you already. Your daughter Lorraine xxoo

I am so sorry to hear of Lillian’s passing, I volunteer at Extendicare and spent some nice moments with her. Her smile was beautiful. Linda