@PamfromCT
Dear Pam,
Everyone here seems to be stunned by
what happened to Cathy. Those last few weeks, she had a lot going on, but I think that we all expected her to get better.
The loss of her son was so tragic. I don't think that a mother ever gets over such a loss.
She and I shared some very long posts, a couple of years ago
and we found that we had some similar interests in art, fashion, our love of color and antiques. She loved lemon meringue pie,
as I do and I gave her my mother's recipe.
We both loved making special meals for our families and
decorating for holidays.
It will seem so strange to not see her here again. I remember
when Andreatoo passed away. She had kidney problems and
she was not very old. She started "Outfit of the Day". I would always check to see the pictures of her and ECBG in their outfits.
I remember seeing the name "Preds", but I never knew that she was sick and had passed away. There have been several
people from the past, that we don't see here anymore. I've wondered what happened to them.
There was one lady, I don't remember her name, who rescued all kinds of animals. She and her husband would pick up larger
animals with a pick up truck. They loved animals so much.
She may have been "Keeper of the Koi" or a similar name.
She wrote the most beautiful posts. I don't know exactly what happened, but she made reference to some posts that were not very nice to her and she was discontinuing her posts. I missed seeing her lovely posts.
@PamfromCT I'm so glad that you reappeared here and that we connected again.
Thank you for the compliments on my Salade Nicoise. It does take some time to put together, but it is not difficult.
I know that we share French heritage. Both of my French great-grandmothers spoke no English. Would you believe that my maternal grandfather's mother had been a nun in Canada?
Yes, she was a nun and she became ill with a heart problem.
There was no health care for sick nuns, so she had to leave the order. I don't know when she came to Massachusetts, but it was probably to find work. She married later in life, when she met
her Irish husband. Our city was the shoe capitol of the world,
with hundreds of manufacturers, so most people came here for work.
After she and her Irish husband married, they had only one child, my grand father. His mother wanted him to become a priest. He spent one year at a seminary, then he left. It wasn't for him. He then met and married my grandmother and they had eight children.
My father talked about some of the French foods that his French grandmother made, but he never made any for us. His mother, my grandmother, came from Newfoundland and was not French. She came here as a young girl, along with her two sisters, for work. She met and married her French Canadian
husband.
It seems to me that the second generation immigrants wanted to be Americanized. Many didn't keep the language and cultural traditions and wanted their children to be all American. It is too bad that so much has been lost that would have been appreciated by us grand children and great grand children.
How wonderful that your daughter got to experience some time in France and that two French girls stayed with you.
We had a French exchange student at our high school and I was in an Art class with her.
It must have been so exciting to visit Paris and going to Germany and Austria. Like you, I don't like or drink beer, so we did not go to the breweries or the beer garden in Germany.
My son and daughter in law like beer and they really enjoyed Germany and visiting those places.
Quebec City was fun to visit. I think that I was nine, the first time that we went. I wanted to stay at the Chateau Frontenac, so beautiful.
We visited St. Anne de Beaupre and Montmorency Falls.
As an adult it would have more meaning to me, to see where my French and also my First Nations ancestors lived.
There is a park in Quebec City, dedicated to our ancestor, Martin Prevost one of the first settlers in Quebec, in the 1600's. He ran The Company of the 100 Associates. That was comparable to the later, Hudson Bay Company.
My cousin's son, went to Quebec City a few years ago and sent a picture of the park, when he visited there.
Martin's marriage was the first marriage between a French settler and a young native woman. Her Algonquin father, Manitouabeouich, had been a scout and guide working with the French, in the fur trade. Her mother, Ouchibabanoukoueou was Huron.
She was baptized Marie and at 10 years old, was sent to a Catholic school and taught by Ursaline nuns. She is buried in the oldest cemetery in Quebec City, where there is monument dedicated to her. The story of Martin and Marie is on video and taught in the public schools in Quebec.
When my oldest daughter got married, they went to Quebec City and Montreal on their honeymoon. She loved it so much.
She and I would loved to go there, but there are many reasons why it it is not doable at this time.
I should head to the kitchen. Tonight, I'm making blueberry
pancakes and blueberry sauce. Maybe I'll cook some bacon, if
my guys want it, I'll ask. It's probably a silly question, guys always want bacon. We don't eat it often, since it is not really
a healthy thing to eat.
You take care and enjoy your time on the Cape.
Love,
Donna
P.S. Toni just got back from her farm vacation
and I will be posting pictures in Community Chat.
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