Personal Childhood Web

Me, feeling very special in my fancy dress looking sweet as a rose. I was loved and nurtured just like these beautiful roses. 

                                                        Hi, welcome to my family . The five people that greatly supported me as a child were my Mom and Dad, my brother, and my two grandparents and my best friends.

This is me as a baby with my Mom and Dad and Brother

Me as a baby with my family. Check out my christening gown. Dressed to impress.

My Mother and Father

These are  my beautiful parents on their special wedding day. I believe I was blessed with the most caring, patience loving family on this earth. Both my brother and I were adopted from different families when we were babies.They truly wanted us and  loved and cared for us for eternity. They always made me feel special by taking time with me to teach me how to swim,  to sew, to cook, they gave me dancing lessons, piano and flute lessons, and I sang in the church choir.They read bedtime stories to me, always tucked me in at night and said our prayers. They always supported me and were very patient and loving with me. They did not yell , or curse,  they gave me good guidance , if only I had listened. If my Mom was upset with me she would say I am disappointed with you, she always told me she would always be my best friend I would have in life,and that  when she was gone she would always be with me it would be like me looking in a mirror and she would be  there. She would tell me that people judge you by the company you keep.  

My Mother

My beautiful mother as a nurse . She was a nurse in the second world war over in the Phillipines.  She was a very caring and dedicated woman with blueberry blue eyes.. She had a heart of gold and wisdom and strength of a lioness. She organized patient respectful and generous with her love and attention for her family. She was a stay at home Mom, we always knew she would be there. She baked and cooked homemade wonderful meals for us and our clothes were always clean and folded in our drawers. We had clean sheets and pajamas ready for us each night.She said our prayers with us  very night and tucked us in with a kiss on the check.

My Dad

My Dad looking handsome in his uniform. He fought in World War Two in Canada. His parents came over from Scotland to Toronto Canada on one of the ships with the Mayflower. His father, my Grandfather supported them by opening up a bake shop where he made  every thing from bread to wedding cakes. My father became a lifeguard on Lake Ontario beaches and supported himself through University and became an Engineer.My Dad was a wonderful provider, he loved all of us and gave us all an amazing life. He bought the crown land which he built our summer cottage on for $!00.00 and that was a lot back in the 50's. he would take my brother for rides in the wheel barrow when he was taking a break from carting the rocks for the fireplace he was building at the cottage. He took us fishing and taught me to swim, and later I too became a lifeguard and and cross swim instructor. My dad was my watch man and protector all my life. Unfortunately he couldn't protect me from my own worst enemy , myself. He always tried to understand me, he was extremely patient and quiet mannered. he loved to tell us stories about his life and I loved to listen to him. He made me feel safe , loved and secure.

My Dad Playing  Football for the University of Toronto 

My Dad is The one in the middle . He was a hard worker  , he was ambitious, good natured , kind and patient.

My Grandma Bell

This is me and my Grandmother Bell making music together. She had a lovely laugh, she loved to sing , and loved music.She could really play the piano. She passed her love of music on to me. My mother was a wonderful piano player as well.



My Grandma Druding

This is my special Grandmother on my mothers side. She is younger here. She had three sisters who were my great aunts. She always made me feel so special and loved. She would give me the biggest hugs and always told me that I will always be her little girl. I loved the smell of her house, and her rock garden in the yard where I would play as she hung the washing up on the clothes line.I will never forget her tea biscuits she would make warm from the oven and my cup of tea loaded with cream and sugar in a china cup.I would love to dress up in her fancy clothes and dance around in her full length mirrors in the privacy of her room. Lavender was the smell and color of her bathroom, and I loved it along with every piece of furniture in her house, for I loved her and she me and always will.

My dear Grandma and her sister relaxing on the porch a the cottage

My sweet Grandma

My Brother Jimmy and Me

This is my brother Jimmy and me. There was just the two of us as children. He was and still is my big brother and made me feel special by helping me , protecting me, playing with me, and being kind and gentle. He taught me how to catch frogs, to do a cannonball, to climb trees and when I got stuck , he would help me down . He helped me learn to row a boat, and eventually drive the motor boat and later a stick shift car.He influenced my life by letting me know he would always do what ever he could for me,and that  he loves me.

                                               My Cottage the place where all my memories were created

Our families most cherished and beloved summer cottage. This was the first section built, which included the kitchen , living room with the famous stone  fire place.We spent every summer here as a family and eventually I was married close by  in a little white pioneer church and held our reception here over looking Bells Bay.

My Dad at the cottage finally getting a moment to do what he  loves, fishing.  He taught me to love nature and the stillness of the water, to be patient and silent waiting for the fish. This patience is a trait I carried throughout my life.

All packed and ready to roll to the cottage with our row boat on our roof.




the famous stone fire place  that my Dad built by hand and where I learned to make my first fire

Meal time on our screened porch at the cottage. These were the best times. Yummy food, fresh from the local farms always eaten before or after swimming in the fabulous lake.   Hearty appetites sparked by the great outdoors.We always said grace before our meals and asked to be excused from the table, this taught us good manners.We always and helped set the table and clean up the dishes. This taught us responsibly.

My brother and me a the cottage with our handmade boats that  our Dad helped us build and paint. We would have a fine time floating these in the lake. My parents took time with  to teach us new things. At the cottage we played games on the porch every evening before bed. We would play the card game rummy for hours as a family before bed, and my parents would play scrabble and bridge and do jigsaw puzzles



Here I am a the little beach at our summer cottage with my two Grandmothers and my Mother. We are watching the swimmers and enjoying family and the beauty of nature to

Happy smiles at our little beach at the cottage.Feeling happy, enjoying  nature  and each other.

Friends and Family

This is me at our Christmas with my brother, my best friend Valerie and her brother Laurie, sitting at the kids table for Christmas dinner. We always spent Christmas Eve with our neighbors who were our best friends and with our families including Grandparents. These were the best times. We felt very special as we would get all dressed, and we would provide the entertainment for the adults. We would sing, play the piano and put on skits.

Christmas time with or best friends and family. Valerie and me reciting a poem. This helped us to gain confidence, bring out our talents, and  feel special in our little performances.

This is me playing with a friend  in our backyard in the pool. The days would be hot and muggy and I loved to play in the water. My parents made me feel loved and nurtured as they took care of our every need and supported us in our interests,while giving us the   the extra pleasures that made our lives feel special. Love love and more love.

                                                                       

                                                                       Best Friend

Me and my best friend Valerie ready for church on Easter Sunday.

We felt special in our white gloves and Sunday bonnet's. Our families taught us that we are loved by God. This was a wonderful gift they gave us for the rest of our lives.What a blessing.

Me with my best friends on the first day of the fourth grade. These were my very close and best friends.

Me again

These are some of my natural brothers and sisters from my birth Mom

I was the oldest of seven children, but I was  adopted  as a baby into my wonderful family.

that is another story

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