I would like to express my deepest sympathy to the family of Allan Pepin who passed away on June 30. Many of you would remember Allan when he worked for the Hostess Chip company. He always had a great smile and loved to tell stories. He will be missed by all his family and friends and neighbours.
My sister Norma and her dog Molly finally arrived on June 19 and after a brief visit with me we went to Otter Lake where we were invited to our aunt Betty and Gilbert Sparling’s for supper. Heather Boyd also came and we had a great visit with everyone.
The next day Norma was on a mission to find and purchase her graduating year yearbook, which was 1967 from the Pontiac High School.

So off we went to Shawville to start looking. I thought it would be futile. I knew we’d be able to find a book at the school library but she would only be able to look at it. So we started off at the town library and they told us they didn’t keep the school yearbooks but we might be able to find something in the archives which is located below the library. We were greeted by a very lovely lady who told us that they had all kinds of yearbooks and they even had some for sale. Norma said where are those books? And the lady pointed to a box on the floor and said go ahead and look through that box. Norma and I look through the box and could not find a 1967 copy. Her heart sank but then she spotted another box under the table and decided to be nosy and open the box up and lo and behold there was another box of yearbooks. To our amazement she was able to find her yearbook and a few others that were precious to her. Just at this time Gloria Tubman came in and recognized us because I went to school with her and we chatted about old times and looked at even more memorabilia.
Norma ended up buying four yearbooks and had a great day reminiscing.
We had to go to Home Hardware in Shawville to pick up a few things. While we were in the store Mickey Hodgins recognized Norma and I as Art Boisvert’s (the stucco man) daughters. What an amazing man to have such a great memory. We also met Faye Belanger and had a chat with her.
Wednesday we went to the Union Cemetery in Otter Lake and cleaned around all the grave sites belonging to our family. There was a lot of moss and pine gum on the headstones that we had to scrape off and wash. Around each headstone was a lot of buildup of old leaves and twigs which had to be removed. Norma started digging around the headstones and when Molly saw her doing this she decided she wanted to help. I couldn’t believe my eyes, this dog started digging everywhere that Norma told her to and when she came across a tree root she would just rip it out with her teeth. She dug around every headstone and the job got finished quite quickly with her help.
Norma made spanakopita for supper and I made turkey pot pies for her.
Thursday we decided to stay put and Norma went out to my garage with me and we started placing all the glass and ceramic tile I had gathered up on the large table. We wanted to see what colours and shapes I had so we can do a design on the coffee table and other small projects. Then I had to come back in the house to make supper and wash clothes and Norma stayed out in the garage and cleaned it all up. We never did get a project done but the tiles are all separated.
Friday was the day for mowing the lawn and going through some pictures and just trying to relax . We went to Paul Emile Ladouceur’s to get some maple syrup. While we were there he showed Norma around his house and all of his musical instruments, his saws and some old pictures. He is such an entertaining guy. Never a dull moment with him and Paulette.
On Saturday Ramona Dunahee, Aunt Betty, Gilbert Sparling, Heather Boyd, Pauline, Betty and Earl Mayhew, Vincent Mayhew and Debbie Leach came for a visit. I made homemade beans, scalloped potatoes, ham, coleslaw and homemade buns so we had a great supper together. It was sure nice to have family here enjoying themselves.
On Sunday Ramona and Norma and I went through more pictures and talked about the good all days. Norma started getting ready to head off on the third part of her trip to the East Coast. She started off in BC on May 15 and her goal was to be in Nova Scotia for July 1. She is all alone with her dog and they are taking their time discovering Canada and visiting friends and relatives throughout the provinces. She will be taking the whole month of July to discover the Eastern provinces and Labrador. It’s a trip of a lifetime and she is taking her time and enjoying every minute and not really planning anything. If she sees something interesting off the beaten path then away she and Molly go.
Monday morning she got packed up and was ready to go, then her van wouldn’t start. I know she had left the doors open for a while the day before so I guess it flattened her battery. This was the third time on her trip that the battery had gone dead so she called CAA and they came and give her a boost but she ended up spending most of the day Monday looking for someone that would check out her van. It was St. John Baptiste day and everything was closed in Quebec so she had to go to Ontario. She drove to four different garages until she found a real nice man in the Arnprior Canadian Tire who took her in right away and gave her van a diagnostic. The only thing he could find was that the battery was dead and so she bought two new batteries and off she went again.
The last time Norma was here was 12 years ago and the week went by so fast that I didn’t want to let her go. Every day was a new adventure while she was here and we did so many things I can’t even remember it all but we had a great time together. She left a few of the treasures that she picked up along the way here and will pick them back up on her way back out to British Columbia. On her way back she will be taking the northern route of Canada and it’ll be another adventure.
Yes we need rain but this is ridiculous. It is getting to a point of danger for all the farmers who cannot get their hay off.
My garden is drowning. I’ve had to replant a few things already and they’re drowning again. So it won’t be a good year for a garden. It’s pretty bad when even the weeds won’t grow. We need the sunshine and stop with that humidity it’s killing me.
I want to wish my cousin Heather Boyd a special happy 65th birthday on July 7.
I would also like to wish my son and daughter-in-law Alex and Suzanne Kluke a happy 15th anniversary on July 13.