Wow…..where did that summer go? It literally flew by for me.
In July Jim and I had our Granddaughters Charli and Kennedy come from Barrie to stay with us for several days. They also got to visit and stay with their Aunt and Uncle, also in London. I stayed with the girls in our trailer in our driveway. We got to see the Children’s museum and go swimming at Port Stanley. Of course, we visited Mackie’s for their burger, fries and orange drink. The waves were great in the morning, but they got increasingly rough in the afternoon to the point where people were encouraged to get out of the water. There can be a pretty nasty undertow on a big beach. I helped Kennedy to get out. Charli, a very good swimmer, managed to get out on her own with a few tumbles from the rough waves. Nature can be scary at times and a reminder to pay attention and respect her wherever you are.
At the end of July into August, I flew out to the East Coast to visit my daughter Lindsay and the 4 Grandchildren, Eleanor, Sam, Madeline & Mia. Lindsay had been gifted a cottage for a week by a co-worker. It was on the Northumberland Strait. This beautiful cottage was on the hill overlooking the ocean. Herons flew over us every day. We got to swim in the ocean daily. Sam would explore the water when the tides went out. I had gifted him a pail with a magnifying glass which he used to collect crabs, a starfish and a sand dollar. They all got returned to the sea after an examination.
My daughter had all the kids with her in the main bedroom on the top floor. It was huge and had plenty of room for the air mattresses. There was a large balcony off the bedroom which was the place to be for sunsets. Under this balcony was a porch which Lindsay and I availed ourselves daily. The couches welcomed you into their softness and a good book made this scene perfect. My bedroom had a window seat where I would sit and watch and take pictures of the sunrise.
There is something so spectacular in seeing a sunrise or sunset. The tides were magnificent especially as you watched the herons gobble up the crabs. Many other sea birds were there as well. There is something so soothing about watching this incredible scenery! The only downside was the kids all got sick with fevers. They did recover fairly quickly though. We were able to have smores at the bonfire. Before we left Lindsay and I (mainly Lindsay) cleaned the whole cottage. We even did the windows so that the owner could relax when she came up on the weekend. The views were something I won’t soon forget.
One of the bonus trips we had was to P.E.I. where after visiting Anne of Green Gables, we went to Richards Restaurant in Cove Head where we had lobster rolls with coleslaw and fries. The best I have ever had and they even had gluten-free buns as well.
After our fill of lobster, we drove 10 minutes around the bay to visit with a nursing friend of mine named Cheryl who I had worked with for many years at the Oshawa General Hospital in Psychiatry. She gave us all dessert and cold drinks. What a wonderful gift to see her again. Her home was spectacular with a domed glass ceiling. The ocean was across the road from their home. We got caught up. Many hugs were exchanged.
My favourite picture of the Grandchildren was taken at a vivid pink table and chairs in front of Cheryl’s white picket fence with an array of beautiful flowers draping over it.
On my way home I had a 6-hour delay in Toronto so I purchased a pass to their lounge where there was comfortable seating. I also could recharge my electronics and had a wonderful meal. Bonus was meeting people who knew many of my friends from my Orillia student nurse days.
The last weekend of August we went up to the KOA in Barrie where Charli and Kennedy stayed with Jim, Bella and me in the trailer. Bella was spoiled with all the walks she got from the kids. In fact, they would vie for who got to walk her now! We all went to the dog park many times during the day.
The playgrounds got used so much as did the two pools. There was a Karnival there on Saturday with so many events for the kids to do. They got some great glitter tattoos and also did some crafts as well. That is the great thing about this KOA where they geared many of their activities to kids of all ages. They befriended a young girl who also had a Yorkie puppy.
We had smores one night and their parents came up for hamburgers on the BBQ our last night. They had a swim with their kids as well. We were all in bed fairly early as we were pretty tired after full days.
Jim and I look forward to being with the Grands every summer. It gives their parents a bit of a break, while we get to enjoy their company. I got the best homemade birthday cards from them. When on the East Coast my daughter made me gluten-free Birthday Cake. It was a rich birthday time for me for sure!
This summer was all about family. Even though as kids they have their issues with each other and some drama is involved, I wouldn’t miss it for the world. They are growing up so quickly. Even if they quibble you can see how much they care for each other. Not only that, they think about other people too. Their personalities are evolving and I was happy to be a part of this. They are generally great kids and I can see them becoming wonderful adults too. Eleanor, my oldest Granddaughter became a teenager the day after my birthday. Our youngest of 6 Grands is 7 years old. I hope in some small way our presence in their lives makes a difference for them and enriches their lives too. I wish they all lived closer but I am grateful for Messenger to keep up with them.
Take the time to think about what you are grateful for and if you can express it at the time, do so. Life is short but blessings are many.