Celebrating Josee

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Alberta, British Columbia, Calgary, Canada, celebrate, Chateauguay, courage, death, Diana Schwenk, friends, grateful, grief, growing up, Hump Day Chronicles, Josee Bull, laughter, life, Life's like that, living in the moment, loss, love, memories, Quebec, Relationships, stories

I remember one summer day in the early 90’s when Josee picked me up from my apartment in Calgary with the Sporty featured on the above photo.

My friendship with Josee started long before then though. We met in the mid 70s and spent a lot of time in the basement of her house on Maple Crescent beside the park in Chateauguay, Quebec.

Ahh that basement. It was like an episode of ‘That 70s Show.’ It was there that we graduated from drinking tea to playing darts, smoking cigarettes, drinking beer and talking about our relationships with the opposite sex. Thinking back, I feel bad for Josee’s mom who had to put up with us. But then again, she always seemed to be happy to see us.

Josee and I didn’t really stay in touch much after I left Chateauguay, but every decade or so we would manage to get together over a meal and catch up on each others’ lives. I was surprised and shocked when I heard the news of Josee’s passing a few weeks back.

This past Saturday, we celebrated Josee’s life at her daughter’s place. That’s the way Josee wanted it. She didn’t want people crying, she wanted us to enjoy hamburgers and chili, two of her favourite menu choices, and to reminisce about all the fun times we had. There were a lot of people there, family and friends, for this celebration hosted by Melodie and her husband Jordan.

Lots of stories were shared, but one of my favourites was told by Melodie. It seems that when Melodie was about 15 years old she was upset and in tears about a fight she’d had with her then boyfriend and current husband Jordan. Josee took the matter into her own hands by hopping on her Harley and riding it to Jordan’s workplace.

I could see it in my mind as Melodie shared the story – Josee, a petite yet formidable woman, pulling up to Jordan’s work place, taking off her helmet and shaking out that long dark hair, her jaw set in determination. Then spotting Jordan and walking toward him to give him hell. Man, he must have been shaking in his boots when she told him that if he cared about Melodie he should make it right and if he didn’t he should just get lost. I’m telling you, we were all laughing by the end of that story!

I also learned through her partner Sean how much she loved to travel. Often she went alone to bike through Europe for example, or visit places like Africa and Thailand. And I learned that she’d been a business owner for some years and then later she and Sean decided to sell the business and manage a resort in British Columbia so that they could travel together during the off-season.

Listening to all the stories, I couldn’t help but wish that I’d made more of an effort to stay in touch with Josee so that I could have known firsthand the person she had become. But maybe life plays out the way it’s supposed to. And maybe because it played out the way it did, it brings those of us who remain together to share our little part of her story, and in doing so we can see the bigger picture of Josee’s story together.

At one point on Saturday, I could not stop looking at Josee’s Sportster. In many ways the staging of Josee’s bike with her jacket laid across the seat at Melodie’s acreage, seemed the perfect tribute to her.

It spoke of her free-spirit, her courage, and her ability to reach her goals.

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

Josee, You will be missed. Your courage and determination in life, and in facing death, are a great inspiration to us. Rest in Peace my friend.

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Growing Up in the 70s

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Canada, Chateauguay, Diana Schwenk, family, friends, growing up, happy, health, Hump Day Chronicles, joy, kids, life, living in the moment, love, memories, Montreal, parents, Quebec, Relationships

My childhood home on Google Instant Street View

I was recently reminded how fortunate I was to grow up in the seventies because of a Facebook page I was invited to join called Chateauguay in the 70’s. It’s been a real treat to catch up with some of the folks I grew up with and learn what they’ve been up to.

We’ve discussed everything from who remembers their old phone number to where everyone lives now and what they do for a living.

The other day, I checked out my childhood home on Instant Street View, shared it on the Chateauguay in the 70s page and suggested others do the same. Many did and some even compared instant street view with photos from when they lived there decades ago. After posting it to my brother’s page (above photo), I took a virtual walk around my old neighbourhood.

It took me right back to my childhood. You should try it!

I used to get on my bike, go around the block and pick up Theresa, then the two of us would ride to Gloria’s house, pick her up. Go play in Maple Park for a bit, go to Cam’s and get a cherry coke and hickory sticks. Maybe ride down to the Chateauguay River, sit on the bank, talk about stuff while lazily tossing rocks into the river or take off our shoes, roll up our pant legs and cool our feet.

I remember cutting through the field, walking the back way to the Chateauguay Shopping Centre, getting greasy fries in a paper bag, adding salt and vinegar and shaking it up, buying farmer sausages at Buster’s for a buck and eating them on the way home, joining in on skipping games at the end of my street…

Blue bells, cockle shells, Evie, ivy, over.  I like coffee.  I like tea.  I like the boys  and the boys like me.  yes, no, maybe so,  yes, no, maybe so…

Hopscotch, Red Rover, Frozen Tag, Mother May I, Hide and Seek, Trick or Treat, Cowboys and Indians, building forts, street chalk art, fire crackers, footsie, belly laughing, roller skating, mall walking, singing and dancing.

Often we went out after breakfast and sometimes we didn’t come home till supper. Those were the days. Outside was our playground. We never ran out of stuff to do.

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~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

What was your favourite childhood activity? Which decade did you grow up in?

We don’t have a chimney!

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Chateauguay, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Diana Schwenk, family, growing up, happy, Hump Day Chronicles, joy, laughter, life, living in the moment, love, memories, Merry Christmas, parents, Quebec, Relationships, Stuff my parents used to say and do

Christmas at 111 Edgewood Drive

IT’S TRUE. WE DIDN’T HAVE A CHIMNEY.

But that wasn’t a problem for Santa back in the day when we celebrated Christmas at 111 Edgewood Drive in Chateauguay, Quebec.

Back then Santa just rang the doorbell on Christmas Eve when my family, according to German tradition, celebrated Christmas.

I know, I know, I’ve heard from many of you over the years how much you loved coming down in your PJ’s and opening gifts on Christmas morning. But in the Schwenk house, we celebrated on Christmas Eve and it went something like this…

“Come on kids, we need to get ready for Christmas. Santa won’t come if we’re down here!”

So up the stairs we go. Our outfits carefully chosen by Mom and laid out on our beds. But first into the upstairs fancy purple and black tiled bathroom – the one that had convinced Mom that this was the house we would buy – to wash our faces, brush our teeth and fix our hair.

DING DONG goes the doorbell!

Mike and I are ecstatic, “Santa’s here!” And he is noisy! The way he stomps up the front stairs laden with packages when Dad lets him in. What a paradox that Santa is; noisy and bold, yet apparently too shy to be seen by us.

The bathroom reverberates with our nervous laughter and excitement as we get all dolled up and dressed in our finest clothes under Mom’s careful supervision. And just as quickly as Santa comes, he is gone. We know this because we hear the door open and then slam shut.

Down the stairs we scramble. And into the living room we go. Wide-eyed staring at the Christmas tree all lit up, with presents laid below. Over at the dining room table our places are set with the finest dishes and the crystal glasses. At the center of the table is the Advents Kranz that Mom made by shaping a hanger into a circle and fastening evergreen boughs on it with wire to form the perfect wreath. Dad made the stand from wood. It has a base for balance and a round stick like that of a broom handle sticking up. The Advents Kranz is wrapped with red ribbon and the long pieces are stapled to the top of the stick holding the wreath, seemingly, in mid-air.

Before the present opening, we light the four candles on the wreath and eat our meal and Mom’s home-baked Christmas goodies for dessert while listening to Bing Crosby and Perry Como albums playing on the old console stereo.

Yes, we really just want to get right to the present-opening part of the evening. But there is something so magical about taking the time to look at the Christmas lights and candles and how they make the garland and tinsel icicles shimmer and sparkle.

But then after our meal

FINALLY

It is time to open our presents!

I didn’t know it then, but looking back, the best part of Christmas was really all of us being together.

The first Christmas I understood what was going on

Presents under the tree

Me and Mike playing with our gifts

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

I’m gonna do myself a favour this Christmas. I’m gonna look at those whom I spend the holidays with. I mean really sit back and see them. And I will make a conscious effort to recognize the gift of being all together. How about you?

On behalf of the Schwenks, and from my home to your home, have a very Merry Christmas regardless of the day you celebrate it on.

The Patio Door

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Chateauguay, childhood, Diana Schwenk, family, growing up, Hump Day Chronicles, love, memories, parents, Quebec, Relationships, Stuff my parents used to say and do

Mike and me standing in front of our house in Chateauguay, Quebec

WAY BACK WHEN our family lived at 111 Edgewood Drive in Chateauguay Quebec – before it became Chateauguay Centre, before Canada issued  postal codes and switched to the metric system, Dad used to say this thing that kinda drove Mom a bit crazy.

When Mike and I were knee-high to a grasshopper – ok, that’s a bit of an exaggeration – but we were little (see photo above), our family moved into the home we would grow up in.

It was a duplex. Dad sold part of his stamp collection for the down payment. The room that we spent most of our time all-together in was the kitchen.

Upon entering the kitchen from the hallway, one would notice the fridge to the right. It was a BIG one and the refrigerator (top) and freezer (bottom) were equal in size.

The kitchen table was on the left with bench seating that also doubled as storage areas by lifting the seats, ran along two walls and two chairs were placed across from the benches .

I sat on the bench on the short wall immediately to the left. Mike sat around the corner along the long wall. Dad sat across from me in a chair with his back to the patio door. And Mom sat across from Mike with her back to the stove.

On the long wall, where Mike sat, was the telephone. Remember when phones were on the wall and they had actual dialing? The phone was black and had a super long cord so you could walk to the sink or around the corner into the dining room for privacy – as if one actually had privacy whilst on the phone.

On the other side of the fridge, on the floor, is where Mom kept the penny jar, an old milk bottle, the kind that was delivered to one’s house and yes, we had milk delivered back then! Mom and Dad threw all their pennies into that bottle and by the end of each year, they’d saved $300 or more that was used toward Christmas shopping.

Along the adjoining wall is where our stove sat, cupboards  were above and on either side of the stove.

The next wall was home to the kitchen sink below a window that was covered with white lacy sheer curtains that were gathered and secured to each edge of the window frame with pretty ribbons. Beside the sink, one more cupboard and then the garbage can – you know the kind that you step on the foot petal thingy and the lid comes up?

Anyway beside that was the patio door and if you walked further, past the phone on the wall, you’d be in the dining room.

It was at that patio door, when it was raining,  that Dad would stand up, look outside and say that thing that drove Mom nuts.

“You know…if it was colder out, it would be snowing…”

I think he did it on purpose, because when Mom became frustrated by his comment because she’d heard it hundreds of times before, I saw the corners of his mouth curl into a smile in the reflection of the patio door.

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

May your joys make up for your sorrows

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200 words, Alberta, Calgary, Chateauguay, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, fall, happy, joy, life, photos, Quebec, sorrow, summer, Tourist in my own city, winter

I never get tired of the blue sky – Vincent Van Gogh

I grew up in Chateauguay, Quebec. Summers were humid and stifling hot. It was hard to sleep at night.

Winters were brutal. The bitter cold and snow were made worse with months of dark skies overhead.

Autumn was my favourite season – Indian Summer in all its glory – warm days and cool nights. Maple trees bursting in colour, more brilliant than any summer flower.

Autumn made up for it all

Calgary has a dry climate – Thank God! But summers are shorter and cooler. Winters seem to drag on forever. Over the years, I’ve seen it snow in every month!

But no matter the season, Calgary has the most sunny days of any other city in Canada.

330 of 365 in fact – and this means days upon days of blue sky.

Calgary’s blue skies make up for it

Even in winter, we are blessed with summer sky most days..

Carl Saffron building, Calgary AB

Old City Hall, Calgary AB

View from Hope Street, Calgary AB

Where you choose to live and why, comes with its high points and low points. No place is perfect.

In the same way, life comes with its share of joys and sorrows.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

May your joys always make up for your sorrows