Contemplative Monday

"Every moment is unique, unknown, completely fresh."

.....Pema Chodron

Eclectic Tastes

One of the best in the business, in my humble opinion,
is Emmylou Harris.

Enjoy and have a wonderful Sunday everyone.

Saturday Morning Post

Hey, it's summer!!!

Blue sky, clouds, bleachers and grass all together caught my attention....

From my perch at the shop on Wednesday.....

Wild Rugosa Rosa at the park.....

Tennis anyone?

Our Tree Peony is blooming as I type!

It doesn't bloom every year.......we are excited!!

Our Wisteria is finally showing itself off.

This is one of our Clematis called 'Moonlight'.

Summer Solstice Full Moon this past week......

'Lady Bug, Lady Bug fly away home......'

We were very pleased to come across these 'Lady Slippers' 

at the park in Halifax on Thursday. They are 'protected' by law

and cannot be picked/moved.

They are truly unusual in their beauty.....

This scene reminded me of a modern-day George Seurat setting/painting.

The highlight of the week......my father's 100th birthday.

Here he is with his great-grand-daughter, Annie May.

A Celebration Of A Very Full 100 Years

PHEW!

After four months of planning, my siblings and myself put all our

plans into action this past Saturday for the celebration

of our father's 100th birthday.

The 'decoration committee'....

I will attempt to give you a sense of my father's 100 years

as my brother, Dennis, did at the party....and very well I must say.

My Dad, James Frederick Cuvelier, was born in 1916. 

Just stop for a moment and think about what he has witnessed during his lifetime.

He was born in the middle of World War I, a year later his family survived

 the Halifax Explosion , lived through the Great Depression of the '30's,

served in World War II for 3 years in London, England (and one of his jobs at night

was to pick up fire-bombs that the Germans dropped on strategic rooftops

 and throw them down into the streets below).

 My sister, Jo-Ann, and four of her five grandchildren....

l to r: Sarah Jane, Liam, Branden, Jo, and Cameron.

In the meantime in Halifax his wife, my mother, had her first child

 months after his departure to England.

Upon his return, Dad stayed in the Canadian Forces for another year

and then left and opened up a grocery store/fish market.

 The 'man of the hour' arrives......with his grand-daughter, Jacqui.

By the time I came along in 1948, I had two sisters

and my father was still in the grocery business.

One day in the late '50's he was offered a job with a car dealership.

He was hesitant at first, but took the chance

 and stayed in that business till the mid 80's when he retired.

The first of the 'family' entertainment....my cousin, Cheryl and sister Jo-Ann. 

 By that time of course, he was the father of six more children......

four more boys and two more girls.

He got the 'ball team' he had always wanted!

You see, my father was a noted 'soft-ball' player in the Maritmes

(the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island)

in the late 1940's and all of the 1950's.

 Mayor Mike Savage of Halifax was there on Saturday to give Dad a plaque for the occasion.

In 2015 he was inducted into the Maritime Sports Hall of Fame....

he was the surviving team member.

 My niece, Sarah Jane, performed an Irish dance.

Dad loved sports and was also a noted bowler as well.

He played the piano too.......every Sunday we would all stand around it

and sing our heads off to the tunes he loved and some we loved.

 My sister, Marilyn, played the piano.

I am often asked when I tell someone my father's age....'How did he do it?'

I usually reply that he never drank alcohol, never smoked

always knew what to do in stressful situations (and he had plenty),

and he would say, and still does, eat lots of 'sweets'!! Which he has done all his life.

My cousin, Alan, rooked me and my niece, Brynn, into doing a skit with him!!

We had NO warning!

I am pretty sure it isn't genetics that has kept him alive and well all these years.

You see, his parents died in their mid 50's. But I must add that

 his great grandmother, lived to 102.

So maybe it is a little of all factors....who knows.

 My father and his grandson, Jacob.

Whatever the reason for his longevity my father has had and continues to have

as full life as is available to him.

He is a wonderful father....a provider who worked very hard for his wife and family.

I often wonder how he did it......9 kids on a limited income, a wife who had health issues

throughout all of their 66 year marriage, the death of a son and all the other things

that one's life will come across.

 Sarah Jane after her performance.

We as a family are so thankful to him for being 'the rudder' in our family.

However he did it, the important thing is that he did.....and well.

 All the sibs became part of cousin Alan's routine....singing a chorus to one his tunes.

The party on Saturday was packed!

I sent out 100 invitations last month

 and we are sure there were at least 200 in attendance at one point.

 Looking more oursleves.....l to r back row: Paula, Fred, Jo-Ann, Dennis, Laurie and myself.

l to r front row: Mim, dad and Marilyn.

As mentioned, my brother, Dennis, was the MC

and we had our cousin, Alan, as the main entertainment.

He knows how to whip up an audience with his singing/acting.

 Spreading the love!

Everyone had a good time.

And most importantly, Dad did!

We thought it may be too tiring for him.

But no it wasn't!

He had a very good time.

 Dad's great-grand-daughter, Annie May looking up to her Great- Grandfather.

The highlights for him were his grand and great-grandchildren. 

He adores them and they make him very happy.

I am very proud of my siblings and myself for making this

 100th birthday party celebration a great success.

And I am more proud of my father for all that he has done

 and continues to do on a daily basis.

Happy Birthday Dad!

 Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, sent along her greetings

 As did Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau.

And the Province of Nova Scotia acknowledged the occasion as well.

Saturday Morning Post

Due to the preparations for my father's 100th birthday party today,

there will not be a post today......just too much to do.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Contemplative Monday

"You must love in such a way

that the person you love

feels free."

....Thich Nhat Hanh

Eclectic Tastes

It's my brother, Bernard's, birthday today.

He would have been 64.

He died back in 1972 when he was 19.

He LOVED music....

everything from Pink Floyd to The Four Seasons!

Don't worry, I'll choose a good Four Seasons tune!! lol

Have a wonderful Sunday everyone.

I think Bernard was around 9 years of age in this photo.

Saturday Morning Post

From tree to tree kind of week.......

Deep forest at the park in Halifax.......

Looking across Lake Banook in Dartmouth one evening this week.....

These three trees stood out as the sun was setting in the background.......

Looking out into our front garden at dusk......

Wondering if this well-hidden fire hydrant at the park works at all......

From my perch at the shop....I liked the blues in this......

Look up.....look way up.....

Sun and fog last Sunday while at the shop.......

Family beach time.....

Contemplative Monday

"None of us is ever OK,

but we all get through everything just fine."

by Pema Chodron (click)

Eclectic tastes

A tune I heard on CBC radio this week.
It's a very catchy one that some may remember....I vaguely do.
Opus is an Austrian group which is still active today.
Enjoy and have a wonderful Sunday.

Saturday Morning Post

Spring continues here in Nova Scotia.....

Wild apple blossoms at the park....

Male Pileated Woodpecker caught our attention at the park.....

Tulips still surviving in our garden due to cool temperatures....

Sophie LOVES this coarse grass....to eat

 A typical spring day in the park....

From my perch at the shop......

Lone sailboat at mouth of Halifax Harbour.....

Lighthouse on McNab's Island at the entry into Halifax by sea........

Same sailboat, different location.....

Fresh fern 'forest'.......

Zooming in on the 'subject'....

Young Birch grove.....

I got this at an auction last week.

I 'googled' the artist and found that she lives in Montreal.

Her name is Rita Briansky and she is 91 years old.

She has shown her work in most large cities in North America,

Europe and Japan.

I found a phone number for her and gave her a call and left a message.

Low and behold the next day she called!

A lovely lady and she was very interested in what painting of hers I had.

I described it and she told me that one was done in the late 60's

and it was called 'Cerise' (shades of red).

She was thrilled to know where it ended up.

It is a wonderful addition to our house.