![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Jim Goodwin 1934 to 2020
Sep. 30th, 2020 05:54 pmMy Dad passed away this past Sunday. Here is his obituary:
https://www.fischersfuneralservices.com/goodwin-james-phillip/
https://www.fischersfuneralservices.com/goodwin-james-phillip/
The whole story about my grandfather ...
Mar. 11th, 2020 09:58 pm... is getting very sleuthy.
So. We've seen ships' manifests with passengers lists.
William (father of my grandfather) comes out early to Montreal. His brother Arthur also comes out early, but by a different ship. Annie, Arthur's wife, comes later, 1903, bringing her children and William's children. William's second wife arrives by the same ship as the children, but under her maiden name, and she is a domestic servant. We can't tell from the lists whether she was their servant, or a servant hoping to find work in Canada.
Both families settle in the Verdun area of Montreal. We haven't found the marriage certificate yet, but William's second family starts in 1912. They live in the same house in Verdun forever, and, in fact, the daughter, who was blinded at birth, lives there all her life until 1976.
My grandfather never mentioned his uncle Arthur. My mom has now been in contact with a grand daughter of Arthur's, and she says that although she used to visit her grandmother in Verdun, for years and years and years, no one ever mentioned the William family.
So. What the hell were my relatives up to? Good grief and stuff.
So. We've seen ships' manifests with passengers lists.
William (father of my grandfather) comes out early to Montreal. His brother Arthur also comes out early, but by a different ship. Annie, Arthur's wife, comes later, 1903, bringing her children and William's children. William's second wife arrives by the same ship as the children, but under her maiden name, and she is a domestic servant. We can't tell from the lists whether she was their servant, or a servant hoping to find work in Canada.
Both families settle in the Verdun area of Montreal. We haven't found the marriage certificate yet, but William's second family starts in 1912. They live in the same house in Verdun forever, and, in fact, the daughter, who was blinded at birth, lives there all her life until 1976.
My grandfather never mentioned his uncle Arthur. My mom has now been in contact with a grand daughter of Arthur's, and she says that although she used to visit her grandmother in Verdun, for years and years and years, no one ever mentioned the William family.
So. What the hell were my relatives up to? Good grief and stuff.
... may have been a fibber.
Remember the family lore from below, about my grandfather not being his child? It turns out that WHH didn't enlist for the Boer War until four months after my grandfather's birth. So, this hooey about him returning and my grandfather having been conceived outside the time he was available to do the deed appears to be somewhat suspect.
Anyway. Family lore also says that Grampa was a twin, but the twin died at birth. We haven't found any information to confirm that.
Also, my grandfather always thought that he was named Herbert William Hodkin, for his father. Later in life he requested his birth certificate, and he was only named Herbert - no middle name. It was a fresh wound.
Remember the family lore from below, about my grandfather not being his child? It turns out that WHH didn't enlist for the Boer War until four months after my grandfather's birth. So, this hooey about him returning and my grandfather having been conceived outside the time he was available to do the deed appears to be somewhat suspect.
Anyway. Family lore also says that Grampa was a twin, but the twin died at birth. We haven't found any information to confirm that.
Also, my grandfather always thought that he was named Herbert William Hodkin, for his father. Later in life he requested his birth certificate, and he was only named Herbert - no middle name. It was a fresh wound.
Gertrude Elizabeth Webster Hodkin Barton
Feb. 28th, 2020 10:56 amOne of my multitude of cousins works for the DNA place, Ancestry Dot Sea Eh and that cousin sent their parents kits, which led to other family members (and inlaws of inlaws) to also pursue the DNA investigation, which has led to some surprises. So, my Mom wanted to do it, and I got her a kit for Christmas. She has recently received her results, and it has led to a happy finding.
My Mom's Dad was born in Sheffield England in 1899. He was the fifth or sixth child. When his father returned from the Boer War, there was a complete breakdown of the family. Family lore says that he felt that my grandfather could not be his child, so he divorced his wife for adultery and then moved to Canada, taking all the children. He and his second wife were very harsh to my grandfather.[1] In 1917, my grandfather lied about his age and went to fight in WWI. He was gassed and required extensive facial reconstruction surgery, including surgery to restore his sight. He also lost his memory, and needed to be taught to speak and read and write again. He was taught knitting during this lengthy process. His recovery took place in England. When he returned to Canada, his half-sisters, who did love him, attempted to give him back his memories of his family. He didn't stay long, and one of the places he went was Penticton BC, where he worked on the SS Sicamous.
During all this time, he always wondered what had happened to his mother, the wife who was divorced and who lost all her children. He knew her maiden name was Gertrude Webster, but this wasn't enough to help him locate her.
Through Mom's DNA in Ancestry Dot Sea Eh, she has connected to other Hodkins (of which there appear to be bazillions in Sheffield) - and also to Gertrude Elizabeth Webster. After Gertrude's family was taken from her, she later remarried and had one more son: Samuel Tom Barton. In the early documents, she is listed as Gertrude Barton, but in a later census she is listed as Elizabeth Barton, so while at first we thought she died in 1910 - there she is on a census in 1911. Who knows where she may appear next?
What is very exciting is that one of her Barton granddaughters posted a picture of Gertrude Elizabeth aged about 30. There is my Mom and my Hodkin cousin. There are those gorgeous brown eyes, with the deep shaddows under them. A very appealing face.
My Mom is very excited about this connection. She never met any of her grandparents because travel was not common, but this grandparent was a very sad mystery, and it is wonderful that she went on to have happy times again. One wonders whether any of the older children, who would remember who and where their mother was, were ever able to see her again.
There is a picture of my grandfather about age 12, and you can definitely see that he is Gertrude Elizabeth's son.
[1] - she would lock him in a closet and leave him there all day. He could never bear to be in a room with the door closed. When speaking of her to us, he never called her anything but "that woman".
My Mom's Dad was born in Sheffield England in 1899. He was the fifth or sixth child. When his father returned from the Boer War, there was a complete breakdown of the family. Family lore says that he felt that my grandfather could not be his child, so he divorced his wife for adultery and then moved to Canada, taking all the children. He and his second wife were very harsh to my grandfather.[1] In 1917, my grandfather lied about his age and went to fight in WWI. He was gassed and required extensive facial reconstruction surgery, including surgery to restore his sight. He also lost his memory, and needed to be taught to speak and read and write again. He was taught knitting during this lengthy process. His recovery took place in England. When he returned to Canada, his half-sisters, who did love him, attempted to give him back his memories of his family. He didn't stay long, and one of the places he went was Penticton BC, where he worked on the SS Sicamous.
During all this time, he always wondered what had happened to his mother, the wife who was divorced and who lost all her children. He knew her maiden name was Gertrude Webster, but this wasn't enough to help him locate her.
Through Mom's DNA in Ancestry Dot Sea Eh, she has connected to other Hodkins (of which there appear to be bazillions in Sheffield) - and also to Gertrude Elizabeth Webster. After Gertrude's family was taken from her, she later remarried and had one more son: Samuel Tom Barton. In the early documents, she is listed as Gertrude Barton, but in a later census she is listed as Elizabeth Barton, so while at first we thought she died in 1910 - there she is on a census in 1911. Who knows where she may appear next?
What is very exciting is that one of her Barton granddaughters posted a picture of Gertrude Elizabeth aged about 30. There is my Mom and my Hodkin cousin. There are those gorgeous brown eyes, with the deep shaddows under them. A very appealing face.
My Mom is very excited about this connection. She never met any of her grandparents because travel was not common, but this grandparent was a very sad mystery, and it is wonderful that she went on to have happy times again. One wonders whether any of the older children, who would remember who and where their mother was, were ever able to see her again.
There is a picture of my grandfather about age 12, and you can definitely see that he is Gertrude Elizabeth's son.
[1] - she would lock him in a closet and leave him there all day. He could never bear to be in a room with the door closed. When speaking of her to us, he never called her anything but "that woman".
So, we're back.
Aug. 7th, 2011 07:29 pmI'm always reluctant to twitter/lj/dw/g+/etc my/our vacation as we go because I do not like to announce to the world at large that we are away from home. This puts a crimp on one-liners like: "12 people for dinner at M&D's house" or "just back from Caravan Theatre's Midsummer Night's Dream: excellent!" or "swimming in the Shuswap - so good!".
There's also the issue that these little mots juste will notifiy people whom we haven't contacted that we are in their neighbourhood, and indeed, have not contacted them because our days are filled to the brim and we won't be able to see them. After the fact is easier to forgive than during the fact.
So we went to Tappen BC:
http://www.tractorhouse.com/BusinessDirectory/Detail.aspx?CRMID=5210019&cptid=3
This co-op is where Mom & Dad pick up any parcels that can't be delivered to them, so it qualifies as the local post office, which is something that very few towns in BC have any more (certainly not a place as tiny as Tappen).
My Aunt (Dad's sister) & cousin (daugher of aunt) from San Francisco were/are here, and so we got to see them. I think I have mentioned the long tentacles of the Goodwin Clan before (probably in another forum), and at the dinner was also a second cousin once or twice removed. Her grandmother was a Goodwin girl.
At the dinner we tried a new-to-us red wine: Sunnybrae Winery Bastion Mountain Red:
http://www.sunnybraewinery.com/
The vintage showing on the page is 2010, but I am sure the vintage we purchased was 2006 - very very good. Those of us who like red wine slurped down the two bottles in record time.
We also went to the Caravan Farm Theatre's production of a Midsummer's Night's Dream:
http://www.caravanfarmtheatre.com/
It was very good, as their productions always are, but we were slightly disappointed because one of the features of most of their productions is the use of the farm horses as part of the cast (as horses, in a completely normal-horse kind of way, but very effective), and there were no horses in this one. The production was fine, and worth watching, but because there is a common expectation that the horses will eventually show up, the fact that they didn't was slightly distracting.
And we went swimming at Herald Provincial Park:
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/herald/
As well as camping facilities, there is a day picnic area with beach. The photo at the above location shows approximately where we were swimming. The water is still very high for this time of year - it looks like early June levels - and the lake is slightly twiggy and muddy, and cooler that usual - but not cool enough to keep us out of the water. :) It was so excellent!
The time went really fast. Oh well, we left while people were still wishing we would stay, rather than staying until people were really wishing we would leave, so I think that is the correct way to proceed. :)
There's also the issue that these little mots juste will notifiy people whom we haven't contacted that we are in their neighbourhood, and indeed, have not contacted them because our days are filled to the brim and we won't be able to see them. After the fact is easier to forgive than during the fact.
So we went to Tappen BC:
http://www.tractorhouse.com/BusinessDirectory/Detail.aspx?CRMID=5210019&cptid=3
This co-op is where Mom & Dad pick up any parcels that can't be delivered to them, so it qualifies as the local post office, which is something that very few towns in BC have any more (certainly not a place as tiny as Tappen).
My Aunt (Dad's sister) & cousin (daugher of aunt) from San Francisco were/are here, and so we got to see them. I think I have mentioned the long tentacles of the Goodwin Clan before (probably in another forum), and at the dinner was also a second cousin once or twice removed. Her grandmother was a Goodwin girl.
At the dinner we tried a new-to-us red wine: Sunnybrae Winery Bastion Mountain Red:
http://www.sunnybraewinery.com/
The vintage showing on the page is 2010, but I am sure the vintage we purchased was 2006 - very very good. Those of us who like red wine slurped down the two bottles in record time.
We also went to the Caravan Farm Theatre's production of a Midsummer's Night's Dream:
http://www.caravanfarmtheatre.com/
It was very good, as their productions always are, but we were slightly disappointed because one of the features of most of their productions is the use of the farm horses as part of the cast (as horses, in a completely normal-horse kind of way, but very effective), and there were no horses in this one. The production was fine, and worth watching, but because there is a common expectation that the horses will eventually show up, the fact that they didn't was slightly distracting.
And we went swimming at Herald Provincial Park:
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/herald/
As well as camping facilities, there is a day picnic area with beach. The photo at the above location shows approximately where we were swimming. The water is still very high for this time of year - it looks like early June levels - and the lake is slightly twiggy and muddy, and cooler that usual - but not cool enough to keep us out of the water. :) It was so excellent!
The time went really fast. Oh well, we left while people were still wishing we would stay, rather than staying until people were really wishing we would leave, so I think that is the correct way to proceed. :)
FB & Family Reunions & stuff.
Sep. 11th, 2010 11:26 amSo. Week nine was good, but only two days long, and then I went to Tappen to prepare for the family reunion - and never got a chance to log into *anything* *anywhere* - so it doesn't really count. Then week ten was consolidating the additon of a few new family members on FB, so I did sign in to FB at work. But no FV, so maybe we're good.
The family reunion was for the Sorgens. My dad's mother was a Sorgen. And, like the earlier clans of Goodwins, the Sorgens never stopped having babies until the gumball machine shut down - so there are bazillions of them and they have a family reunion every year. This year my mother offered to host it. Normally it is in Alberta somewhere, and people bring their fifth wheels to the farm of whoever is hosting, but my folks don't have a farm, so it was the new Elks Hall & campground in Salmon Arm.
The Elks Hall was great, and I strongly recommend it, if you need a venue in that part of the country.
The biggest thing is that the host site was on the other side of the Rockies from where most of the Sorgens and affiliates live, and the Roger's Pass has always been a white knuckle experience, even in a dinkie little car - never mind a monster pick-up towing a fifth wheel. So, the turn out was a little low.
And the caterer bailed two weeks before the event, because we were so few, so we bought and cooked. I only showed up for the last two days of preparation: my parents and aunt & uncle living in town spent a lot of time buying and cooking and freezing. Getting everything from their deep freezes to the hall was an all day event in itself.
We all had a great time though, and I may attend next year's back in Alberta. :)
In other news: Sam is having trouble with his teeth. When I got home on Sunday, one of his big upper vampire fangs was out on the bed. Most of Thursday and all day yesterday he could hardly bear to open his mouth to drink. I have an appointment for him on Monday, but if he had continued today the way he was yesterday, I might have shown up at the vets anyway. The problem is that the vets is closed Saturday afternoon and Sunday, with no one there, so I don't see how having him in a cage there would actually be of benefit. Anyway. He is sleeping better today, and actually eating a few things, so I think we will do until Monday.
And I need new glasses and shoes, and I don't want to shop for either. Bah. We're going to go out for soup, instead.
The family reunion was for the Sorgens. My dad's mother was a Sorgen. And, like the earlier clans of Goodwins, the Sorgens never stopped having babies until the gumball machine shut down - so there are bazillions of them and they have a family reunion every year. This year my mother offered to host it. Normally it is in Alberta somewhere, and people bring their fifth wheels to the farm of whoever is hosting, but my folks don't have a farm, so it was the new Elks Hall & campground in Salmon Arm.
The Elks Hall was great, and I strongly recommend it, if you need a venue in that part of the country.
The biggest thing is that the host site was on the other side of the Rockies from where most of the Sorgens and affiliates live, and the Roger's Pass has always been a white knuckle experience, even in a dinkie little car - never mind a monster pick-up towing a fifth wheel. So, the turn out was a little low.
And the caterer bailed two weeks before the event, because we were so few, so we bought and cooked. I only showed up for the last two days of preparation: my parents and aunt & uncle living in town spent a lot of time buying and cooking and freezing. Getting everything from their deep freezes to the hall was an all day event in itself.
We all had a great time though, and I may attend next year's back in Alberta. :)
In other news: Sam is having trouble with his teeth. When I got home on Sunday, one of his big upper vampire fangs was out on the bed. Most of Thursday and all day yesterday he could hardly bear to open his mouth to drink. I have an appointment for him on Monday, but if he had continued today the way he was yesterday, I might have shown up at the vets anyway. The problem is that the vets is closed Saturday afternoon and Sunday, with no one there, so I don't see how having him in a cage there would actually be of benefit. Anyway. He is sleeping better today, and actually eating a few things, so I think we will do until Monday.
And I need new glasses and shoes, and I don't want to shop for either. Bah. We're going to go out for soup, instead.
Sage Bread Stuffing
1pkg. bacon (one pound or 500 grams, in rashers)
1pkg. sausages or bulk sausage meat (pork)
1 med to large onion (yellow)
1 stalk celery
3 to 5 slices bread, white or brown cubed and dried in slow oven
chicken broth, small tin or container
parsley 1/3 cup fresh chopped
sage 8-10 leaves fresh or 1 tlbs dry,
sage 8-10 leaves fresh or 1 tlbs dry,
thyme 1/2 tsp
savory 1/2 tsp
savory 1/2 tsp
salt & pepper
Boiled and peeled chestnuts, chopped.
If using sausages cut casing lengthwise with scissors and peel.
Dice bacon and fry, add sausage meat, breaking it up into small pieces as it frys. Add chopped onion and continue frying till the onions are soft and sausage is cooked.
Meanwhile, place bread cubes in large bowl, add chopped celery, chopped herbs and diced chestnuts.
Add finished bacon mixture to bowl and stir together. Deglaze frypan with some chicken stock and add to bowl. Add more chicken stock, enough for the desired wettness ( it will dry some in cooking). Salt and pepper to taste.
Stuff turkey, and cook turkey normally.
Or put into casserole, cover with foil or lid(if heating in mic) and bake for 30 to 45 minutes in 350 oven, remove lid for last 6 to 10 minutes.
Or put into casserole, cover with foil or lid(if heating in mic) and bake for 30 to 45 minutes in 350 oven, remove lid for last 6 to 10 minutes.
As you know you can add more or less of any ingredient, bread can be rustic homemade, french, multigrain, any kind at all. You may have to adjust the baking time depending on the size of your baking dish. Good luck with it.
The above is a current snap shot of my Mom's ever evolving drool-inspiring sage chestnut stuffing recipe, you lucky dogs. I've added sizes that I know, and I will add others as I find them. These are in the (notes).
I get my spelling skills from my mother. :)
The above is a current snap shot of my Mom's ever evolving drool-inspiring sage chestnut stuffing recipe, you lucky dogs. I've added sizes that I know, and I will add others as I find them. These are in the (notes).
I get my spelling skills from my mother. :)
In all the kaffufle.
Nov. 2nd, 2009 07:49 pmSo, there was much organizing, and making of lists, and losing the lists, and finding the lists again shouting hurrah, and so on and so forth. Off we sailed at 11:15 am, and arrived just after the caterer (we had stopped to pick up hand sanitizer, and I couldn't find the bloody stuff in the mega-superduper box store), and then we were off: setting out the extra food, finding the garbage bags, consolidating trays as they get skimpy, and so on. And we clean up after the first party and prepare for the second party. And we do the same again. And we're cleaning up until 9:30 pm, and we stay and chatty chat chat for a bit, and we finally come home around 10:45 pm.
And this pathetic little orange face peers in at us from the deck. I had managed to leave Chuckster out on the deck the whole time. No pan, no water, no food. And no place to hide once the fireworks started. Poor little rat boy.
And this pathetic little orange face peers in at us from the deck. I had managed to leave Chuckster out on the deck the whole time. No pan, no water, no food. And no place to hide once the fireworks started. Poor little rat boy.
*Some* people make me cranky.
Nov. 2nd, 2009 07:34 pmSOGP & I paid for the meals at both events because the whole thing was our (my) idea. One cousin, at the last minute, said he was coming and bringing his wife and four kids. Only he showed up. Because he didn't bring his family, we had mega leftovers and so at the end I was bullying people into taking things away. I offered some to him, and he sneered at me.
I was steamed enough about that[1], since he was the reason we had so much excess food, but then my Mom told me she saw him earlier complain about the food and throw a whole plate of it away[2].
Right. That's it. *He's* not invited any more.
Okay. There are not enough of us to have a proper Ogg quarrel, but I can see how therapeutic it would be. : )
[1] - I mean: all he had to do was say, "no" - lots of people did. :)
[2] - It was very nice food. I've definitely had worse. :) I'd order from that caterer, The Bread Garden, again.
I was steamed enough about that[1], since he was the reason we had so much excess food, but then my Mom told me she saw him earlier complain about the food and throw a whole plate of it away[2].
Right. That's it. *He's* not invited any more.
Okay. There are not enough of us to have a proper Ogg quarrel, but I can see how therapeutic it would be. : )
[1] - I mean: all he had to do was say, "no" - lots of people did. :)
[2] - It was very nice food. I've definitely had worse. :) I'd order from that caterer, The Bread Garden, again.
Organizing Parties.
Nov. 2nd, 2009 07:23 pmThis past Saturday, on Halloween, SOGP's mother celebrated her 90th birthday. I decided that she deserved a party, so I started out organizing a family party. What we ended up doing was an afternoon tea party (lunch) for all her cronies in the housing coop she lives in, and an evening family dinner. 60 to 70 people at lunch, and 30 people at dinner. It was a lot of work, but her grandkids pitched in beautfully, and she had a great time. Also, although the forecast was for rain, we had the most beautiful day, with glorious sunshine and no wind. Beautiful. I even managed to order the Governor General's greeting in time.
She really had a great time. :)
She really had a great time. :)
They got home yesterday at 4:30 pm.
Aug. 14th, 2009 08:16 pmSo. It has all been a little overwrought this last while.
I had a two weeks' off and spent the first week spending a lot of money I haven't yet made. Ah ha ha. (My lenses are insane - my astigmatism and whatnot is so bad that my lenses are never less that $400 - and that so does *not* include the frames.) Okay, yes, I bought a wireless laptop, whee. :) And I bought two new pairs of shoes and had three more pairs resoled. Argle.
Then I spent nearly a week at my parent's place. It was beautiful and very hot. They have air conditioning and it was terrific. They also invited people over for the big meal of doom, and had to spend the next day recovering because they are not only no longer in their thirties, but they are no longer in their fifties. My SOGP drove up, and I bused up, and we are still talking to one another, so it was a win (last year it was not so good because SOGP came by bus with me - and he HATES the bus).
Then, on the morning I left, my Dad had his heart attack. He has been waiting for this heart attack for 25 years. Our family tend to be short dumpy fatties with heart troubles, and none of the men in Dad's family had previously survived their fifties. Dad's dad was dead at 56 and had been ill in bed from a stoke for a long time prior. Dad's oldest brother died on the operating table at 46 - there wasn't enough heart left to do any bypasses on. My Dad's second oldest brother died at 52 after bypass surgery in his late forties - and he only hung on that long because it meant that his wife qualified for a larger pension. One of my cousins died about five years ago at 50. And so on. My Dad has basically been feeling the fine edge of the sword of Damocles on his neck since the 70's.
He wouldn't let us help him but sent Mom and I off to put me on the bus. About 15 minutes after we had gone, he called a neighbour, who is a paramedic, and he took one look at Dad and called the ambulance. Fortunately, as soon as Dad realized his *spell* was probably a little bit more than just hard work in the heat on an empty stomach (he was on the roof cleaning out the gutters, waiting for me to be ready, so that he and Mom could then have breakfast in town after they got me on the bus), he took an aspirin.
So. Dad was in the hospital from the 31st of July onward. Because of lame-brained efforts at "rationalizing"the health care service, in order to get the angiogram test and the stent surgery in a timely fashion he had to stay in the hospital the whole time. If he had gone home, he would have lost his place in line and would have ended up waiting months for the angiogram, and who knows how long for the stents. I could rant about the gutting of the health care system by the current bad man in office in BC, but maybe another time.
So, my Mom was in and out of town twice a day during that time, since she spent much of her time with Dad. Then, when she would get home in the evening, there would be people visiting and phoning, so she was getting pretty frazzled.
When Dad was sheduled for surgery in Victoria, Mom drove down to stay with us one night, and then I went with her to Victoria so that I could see Dad after the surgery, and then they wouldn't have to stop in Vancouver on their way home. Important because that would add an additional 3 to 4 hours to an already 10 hour day for the drive home.
I think having me around helps Mom a bit - since we can natter on and on, which we both find comforting. But I also think that having me around stresses my parents because they have never really come to terms with the idea that I am older than five, and so they feel they have to protect me from everything. If I start to do something, they both feel the need to leap up immediately and help me. Not that either of them can sit still for two minutes anyways, but you know what I mean.
They got home yesterday at 4:30 pm, and I can only hope that they spent the whole day vegging out, but my money would be on them doing housework and getting groceries and entertaining well-wishers.
That would be my folks.
I had a two weeks' off and spent the first week spending a lot of money I haven't yet made. Ah ha ha. (My lenses are insane - my astigmatism and whatnot is so bad that my lenses are never less that $400 - and that so does *not* include the frames.) Okay, yes, I bought a wireless laptop, whee. :) And I bought two new pairs of shoes and had three more pairs resoled. Argle.
Then I spent nearly a week at my parent's place. It was beautiful and very hot. They have air conditioning and it was terrific. They also invited people over for the big meal of doom, and had to spend the next day recovering because they are not only no longer in their thirties, but they are no longer in their fifties. My SOGP drove up, and I bused up, and we are still talking to one another, so it was a win (last year it was not so good because SOGP came by bus with me - and he HATES the bus).
Then, on the morning I left, my Dad had his heart attack. He has been waiting for this heart attack for 25 years. Our family tend to be short dumpy fatties with heart troubles, and none of the men in Dad's family had previously survived their fifties. Dad's dad was dead at 56 and had been ill in bed from a stoke for a long time prior. Dad's oldest brother died on the operating table at 46 - there wasn't enough heart left to do any bypasses on. My Dad's second oldest brother died at 52 after bypass surgery in his late forties - and he only hung on that long because it meant that his wife qualified for a larger pension. One of my cousins died about five years ago at 50. And so on. My Dad has basically been feeling the fine edge of the sword of Damocles on his neck since the 70's.
He wouldn't let us help him but sent Mom and I off to put me on the bus. About 15 minutes after we had gone, he called a neighbour, who is a paramedic, and he took one look at Dad and called the ambulance. Fortunately, as soon as Dad realized his *spell* was probably a little bit more than just hard work in the heat on an empty stomach (he was on the roof cleaning out the gutters, waiting for me to be ready, so that he and Mom could then have breakfast in town after they got me on the bus), he took an aspirin.
So. Dad was in the hospital from the 31st of July onward. Because of lame-brained efforts at "rationalizing"the health care service, in order to get the angiogram test and the stent surgery in a timely fashion he had to stay in the hospital the whole time. If he had gone home, he would have lost his place in line and would have ended up waiting months for the angiogram, and who knows how long for the stents. I could rant about the gutting of the health care system by the current bad man in office in BC, but maybe another time.
So, my Mom was in and out of town twice a day during that time, since she spent much of her time with Dad. Then, when she would get home in the evening, there would be people visiting and phoning, so she was getting pretty frazzled.
When Dad was sheduled for surgery in Victoria, Mom drove down to stay with us one night, and then I went with her to Victoria so that I could see Dad after the surgery, and then they wouldn't have to stop in Vancouver on their way home. Important because that would add an additional 3 to 4 hours to an already 10 hour day for the drive home.
I think having me around helps Mom a bit - since we can natter on and on, which we both find comforting. But I also think that having me around stresses my parents because they have never really come to terms with the idea that I am older than five, and so they feel they have to protect me from everything. If I start to do something, they both feel the need to leap up immediately and help me. Not that either of them can sit still for two minutes anyways, but you know what I mean.
They got home yesterday at 4:30 pm, and I can only hope that they spent the whole day vegging out, but my money would be on them doing housework and getting groceries and entertaining well-wishers.
That would be my folks.
Back from Victoria.
Aug. 11th, 2009 10:54 pmMy Dad has his stent operation today. There was an irregularity, but all in all seemed to go okay. He is being kept overnight at the hospital and then he and Mom will spend another day in Victoria before heading home. Mom is very tired. I would like to see them spend two days before going home, but I come by my stubborn pigheadedness naturally, so I doubt they will.
Herbert Hodkin and David Weir Goodwin.
Nov. 11th, 2008 08:40 amToday we remember those who fought in World War I.
Herbert Hodkin survived the war. He was born in 1899. He ran away from home at 15 and joined up. Canada was so in love with Britain that the recruiters let him go. He was at Vimy Ridge. He was gassed, and lost his sight and memory. He recouperated in a hospital in Britain, where primative plastic surgery was performed on his face, and his sight was restored. After the war, he tried finding work in Canada, USA, and Australia. His face was so scarred that no one would hire him. He eventually threw his medals in a river. In the USA he met and married Helen Partlow when she was 18 and he was 35. They had a son and a daughter. They immigrated to Canada (he repatriated) when Helen was 35. Herbert Hodkin died at the age of 77 in 1977. His daughter is my mother.
David Weir Goodwin did not survive the war. He was born in 1888. He also volunteered to go. He was wounded at the front, sent to hospital, healed and returned to the front. He was wounded again and sent to hospital again. He was nearly ready to return to the front. The man in the bunk below had also been wounded in his first stint at the front, and did not want to return to the front. He attempted to shoot himself in the foot and instead killed the man in the bunk above him. David Weir Goodwin died on 23 Sept 1917, one week before his 29 birthday. He is buried in France. He was my father's uncle.
My grandfather never talked about his experiences in the war, and he never wore poppies. I was inculcated with the wearing of poppies by men who survived World War II and who were belligerant with arrogant entitled pride. I now wear poppies ironically because these acts of rememberance are futile. Uniformed men were killed or shattered and uniformed men continue to be killed and shattered, for land, for oil, for other commodities that they don't control and have no benefit from.
And now we get a day off with pay, and most of us spend it sleeping in - I did.
Herbert Hodkin survived the war. He was born in 1899. He ran away from home at 15 and joined up. Canada was so in love with Britain that the recruiters let him go. He was at Vimy Ridge. He was gassed, and lost his sight and memory. He recouperated in a hospital in Britain, where primative plastic surgery was performed on his face, and his sight was restored. After the war, he tried finding work in Canada, USA, and Australia. His face was so scarred that no one would hire him. He eventually threw his medals in a river. In the USA he met and married Helen Partlow when she was 18 and he was 35. They had a son and a daughter. They immigrated to Canada (he repatriated) when Helen was 35. Herbert Hodkin died at the age of 77 in 1977. His daughter is my mother.
David Weir Goodwin did not survive the war. He was born in 1888. He also volunteered to go. He was wounded at the front, sent to hospital, healed and returned to the front. He was wounded again and sent to hospital again. He was nearly ready to return to the front. The man in the bunk below had also been wounded in his first stint at the front, and did not want to return to the front. He attempted to shoot himself in the foot and instead killed the man in the bunk above him. David Weir Goodwin died on 23 Sept 1917, one week before his 29 birthday. He is buried in France. He was my father's uncle.
My grandfather never talked about his experiences in the war, and he never wore poppies. I was inculcated with the wearing of poppies by men who survived World War II and who were belligerant with arrogant entitled pride. I now wear poppies ironically because these acts of rememberance are futile. Uniformed men were killed or shattered and uniformed men continue to be killed and shattered, for land, for oil, for other commodities that they don't control and have no benefit from.
And now we get a day off with pay, and most of us spend it sleeping in - I did.
Tappen at Easter.
Mar. 24th, 2008 10:00 amI went to Tappen for Easter. This involves a bus ride over the Coquihalla in spring. Argh. Going was only slightly scary; coming back was much more scary. Greasy sleet and fog and insane amounts of traffic all hanging from various precipices on curves.
However, Tappen and Salmon Arm are always lovely, even when it is early spring, and the ground is just brown flattened dead vegetation, crushed under the weight of the snow that is no longer there. I don't care for Kamloops, never have, but just 80 kms away, it is heaven.
I went to visit my parents, but the bonus was that my Dad's brother's daughter's daughter & her husband were visiting with their new baby. So cute. 3.5 months old, so mostly just big big eyes staring at everything. The only time she made a fuss was when she was left out during Easter dinner. Once she was brought back, and allowed to fall asleep at the table on her Dad's lap, she was happy again. She fell asleep reluctantly, though, frowning all the while in futile resistance.
