August 31, 2008. Western Head, N.S. Labor Day.

Why do we celebrate the virtue of laboring by taking a day off work? I like a day off work as well as everyone else,but I know nothing about the origin of Labor Day, so I guess I should find out. Maybe Ken will look it up for me.

Labor Day in past years was often spent in our back yard on Franklin Street, along with the agents and their Families. The kids swam, while the adults watched and visited and ate good food. I miss seeing all the children. We miss several things about our Franklin Street home. I miss the Christmas Party at our house and I miss the back yard family picnics. Also over this season, Dave and Irene often visited with us to watch the full coverage of the U.S.Open, so we had fun watching together. In those years, the Canadian coverage of the U.S.Open was not adequate, but not any more. If we wished to do so, we could watch the tennis tournament all day and all evening. Of course, I would love to watch all the time, but other things in life intrude upon my time.

I was not pleased to have this Olympics assigned to China. But I was wrong in my assessment that the Games would be very difficult. The Games were wonderful, and I enjoyed watching as many events as I could. I just wish that more competition from many other sports had been shown. I was able to see the final gold medal game between two Chinese women in Table Tennis. My goodness but those women were quick. Every time we turned on the T.V. there was another beach volleyball being played. Now I know that these women look great, but really...how many games do I really need to watch, when I know that fencing and badminton is going on? The Canadian rowers and paddlers did themselves proud. I can never paddle a canoe again, unless I learn to get up on one knee. Soon it will be winter at Whistler. I'll be there to watch in front of my T.V. And I will love every minute.

August 30, 2008. Western Head, N.S. The Garden of Mary.

Living along the shore is a wonderful thing. Living near the shore and walking through the woods to my friends house is a hugh added bonus. But the part that really takes the prize is walking through the woods and coming upon Mary's garden. There are blossoms everywhere and in many different colors. No grass in sight, just bloom after bloom of colorful plants. Every part of the summer plants are in bloom and they are perennials, so they will be there again next year. These plants came from every part of the woods and for the most part are wildflowers. Several stone walks have been made around the place, the stones dug up when she planted the wildflowers. Building the garden was labor intensive, but not any more, because the whole place is full of plantings with blooms. Her window boxes are full too and cascade over the side with brightly colored blossoms. The whole place is wonderful, and I love to break through the woods on the path to see all these colors, in my friends garden, and know that she is making us a cup of tea, which we will enjoy outside, enjoying the garden.

Now Mary is a good gardener. She did the whole garden herself. But she can do almost anything. Yesterday she was re-painting her Adirondack chairs, two chairs at a time. The custom here is to paint the chairs different gaily painted colors, so she has ten chairs so she will finish two every day. Now we have been here the same number of years, but we are just allowing the chairs to look weathered and faded, but Mary's chairs will look bright and new. Her reason is that our chairs are down by the water, while hers are on their deck, where they can be seen every day. I bought her a puzzle last year. The man I bought it from told me that no one he knows has ever been able to solve the puzzle. It took Mary three days to master it. Last year she bought a sail boat, or properly, they bought a sailboat. Every afternoon, when the weather is fine, Clif and Mary head out in her sailboat and sail around to their hearts content. So you see that Mary is a person of many parts. And she is a good friend too.

August 28, 2008. N.S. Western Head. Snails.

We went in search of snails. What we found was a treasure. It was the most unlikely place to find in Shellburne. I love it when you find a bit of treasure, right before your eyes, except you did not notice it. Our fish pond needs snails, to keep the water and the pond free of algae, but snails are hard to find in Liverpool. Ivan, from our local plant store, told us about a place in Shellburne that sells water plants and snails. Both Ken and I were dubious about this, because we have been to Shellburne many times and never saw a place selling water plants and snails, but we had faith, and up we went. At first we drove all around this small town and could not find anything at all that looked like snails or water plants, so we went to the Nursery for directions. Of course, we could not find the place the first time, so we went to lunch at our favorite restaurant in Shellburne, Charlotte Lane. After lunch, they gave us directions which included a map, so we finally found the place, a spot we have driven past many many times but did not notice. What we found was a bit like a miracle.

At first, the place looks like a mess, with stuff piled up outside the buildings and tall grass and weeds everywhere. After getting out of the truck and looking around, I noted on the door a sign giving the times when the place was open, which was from 9 to 9 every day. We both decided that the owner lived in the house adjacent to the buildings , and sure enough, a man came out of the house with keys in his hand who then asked us what we needed. Of course, we told him that we needed snails. He asked us how many snails we needed. Of course we told him that we had no clue, but after determining the size of our pond, he told us that we needed ten snails. In we went to get those snails, and found what seemed to be a fish hatchery. There were ten tubs about four feet by eight feet full of water and full of fish of various sizes. This nice man knows a lot about fish, especially gold fish, so he answered all our questions and gave us a lot of information, such as the fact that all gold fish are born black or dark brown, and turn orange or white or black and white and orange sometime after a year.

The next thing I noticed was his large pond in front, with several fountains turned on, so he told us a lot about fountains, from the size to the strength to the control. Of course we bought a new fountain for our little pond. While chatting with him to check out, he offered to have us walk around his property, where he had five more ponds full of fish. So out we go to view his ponds, walking along a stone walkway, with these ponds hidden from view. The ponds are very well kept and the water clear, with big stones surrounding the ponds in a beautifully landscaped way. But the weeds in the rest of the yard were everywhere. Clearly he pays more attention to the fish than the yard. He has many fish that are 18 inches long. In all, he has one very large pond, two medium sized ponds and four smallish ponds, all with many fish. It was exciting to find this very knowledgeable person in this place that we have driven past many times. Now if he ever gets a handle on the whole property rather than just the ponds, he will really have a treasure. As it is, his place is a bit like a hidden treasure.

August 27, 2008. Western Head. Fifty Years.

Fifty Years is a long time, but only in retrospect. While you are going through it, day by day, everything seems to take a long time. When we consider our situation fifty years ago compared with our situation today, it seems from a distance, to have been a long easy ride from then to now. But actually, it has been a long hard grind with every success coming much slower than anticipated. Now when we married, we had the good fortune to have no debt. Ken had completed his pre-medical training and I had a teaching certificate. Also we were energetic and enthusiastic for success. We both felt that nothing would stand in our way to a happy prosperous life. And so it turned out to be true.

Several facets of our attitudes have helped us. We paid no attention to try to acquire lovely belongings. We took in any furniture anyone give us without regard to how things looked. We never took on any debt until we bought our first home in 1973. We always kept well within our budget and our income. We did not care about what we had, only what we could do. We lived over a hardware store while Ken was in Medical School and kept our expenses low so we could travel in the summer. It is hard to believe, but while I was teaching through the year, we saved enough money for tuition so in the summer we obtained a job at a camp somewhere in North America so we could travel. We drove a 1952 VW bug, the one with the little window and we travelled all over the country camping in that little un-air conditioned car. We were happy to be doing it. But when you see us now, with all our stuff, it is hard to remember that we started with no assets except the most important thing, that was ourselves and our attitudes and our Families. It has not been easy to get from there to here. But we do enjoy ourselves now as we enjoyed ourselves back then, except mow we are much more comfortable with our surroundings!!

August 25, 2008. Western Head, N.S. The people.

We benefited a lot by holding our 50Th Anniversary. But the best aspect of the event was to get to meet and greet and get to know all the people. Just think about what and who we would have missed had we not held the event. Start with our relatives. Now we see my Brother and Sister and their spouses regularly, and we often talk on the phone. The same is true of Kens Brother Keith and sister-in-law Wilma. But I have not seen my cousin from Vancouver Island since 1961. How this has happened is difficult to determine, but Ernie and I decided that we were both just busy getting on with our life, and not paying attention to relatives, especially when they lived a long way away. Dave and Irene's children were all here, along with their children, so we got to see the next generation in action right before our eyes. It was wonderfully comforting to see the energy and enthusiasm and competence of these young adults. In the past we have know well the children Norman, Wendy and Ken and have followed their productive, successful careers, but we have only seen in a quick visit their off-spring. And there they were here, right in front of us, five lovely young woman and a lone tall boy, doing what young folks all do. I would not have missed seeing them for the world. We could have never seen them all together at the same time. For this alone, I am pleased to have held the event.

Of course, not all our relatives could come. For many different reasons, the Barby clan was represented by Marion and Gary, and we missed Ben and Peter and their children. But along with my normal response, I focused on what was able to work out and totally ignore those arrangements could not be arranged. But we missed them. Over the years, we have not kept up with the Ottawa Houghton branch of my Mothers Family, and tho I invited them, they were not able to attend. Someday I will explain, as best as I know, how we lost much contact with the Houghton Family from Ottawa. My sister Carol has done a better job over the years of keeping in touch, and in fact has been the contact for years with Ernie. I will try to do a better job over the next twenty years than I did the past twenty years. Now I have no excuse. Our old friends from Toronto came in force too. In fact, they became a self proclaimed percussion band and singers to the ukulele players in the tent. It is certainly true, that given any opportunity, a Salvation Army trained person will sing and take part, even when not asked. Their spirit contributed to the success of the event. So for these any many reasons, Ken and I are glad we decided to hold our celebration here in Nova Scotia.

But the most important thing about the event was the reason why we decided to hold the event at all, and that was the opportunity to connect to the past and to the future, and in our judgement, we achieved our goal.

August 24, 2008. Western Head, N.S. Driving.

The day was beautiful. Ken was going fishing for a few hours with Vinal. I was intending to stay at home and read, and perhaps go to the grocery store, but Mary call to see if we wanted to go with them over to the Annapolis Valley for lunch. Of course I said yes, and what a lovely drive we had. Walt drove the cat, while Mary and I chatted. We drove across the province to Annapolis Royal on Highway 8. Now Walt does not drive too fast, so we got to see the scenery, and of course, they know a lot more about the communities than I do, so I learned a lot. In Annapolis Royal we walked around town a bit, looked up several of their favorite were closed for lunch, looked over the open market of crafts and baked goods and finally ate lunch in a pub. The food was delicious. We drove on Highway 1 toward Wolfville, looking at all the charming little towns along the way. This side of the province is predominantly farming, so we stopped at a farm outlet for vegetables. Of course we ate an ice cream cone too. Then back to Highway 10 to Bridgewater and home.

After Mary bought all those vegetables, she invited us for dinner. With the magic of cell phones, I was able to catch Ken on his way home from fishing. After a quick shower at homw, he joined us at the MacDonalds home for dinner, and what a wonderful dinner we had. Fresh field tomatoes and cucumbers for salad, steak, mashed potatoes, beans, fresh corn, sauteed mushrooms for dinner and fresh blueberries and whipped cream for dessert. This was not a dinner, said I. It was a feast. It was a lovely day in the country, driving from one place to another with no regard to task. The homes here are very well kept, with an abundance of flowers everywhere. It must be the short growing season, but folks here pau a lot attention to their gardens. I loved seeing them all today.

August 23, 2008. Western Head, N.S. Finding the Good.

Most parents when asked about their teenage children, will tell you something bad about their teen. I heard this while listening to a panel of Psychiatrists on the radio. When I heard this comment, my response was to deny it, but I started to listen and ask questions, and sure enough, most people will give a negative comment about their child. I also hear folks telling about the bad things that have happened on a trip or an outing to the city. It seems that the negative holds more interest than the good. My good friend Alice-Anne, who is Pediatrician on the faculty of Family Medicine in Galveston, once took me to task. During a visit to us when the boys were in High Scool, I was admonishing them to pick up their towels in the bathroom. She asked me a series of questions about the boys, which I could all answer in the affermative, questions such as are they polite to my friends, and do they do well in school, and do they help at home. Her advise to me was to get off their case with the towels. In other words, I fell in that trap of pointing out the negative behavior and ignoring all the good.

While teacher in Toronto, I was asked to serve on a panel dealing with discrimination in the class room. The people in charge of the session were Quakers. These good folks were my first introduction to their religion and philosophy. One dear old lady told me that the only thing consistent in all Quakers is the adage that within every person is some good, and we as people, must find that good. That concept stayed with me, so when I meet someone new, I keep looking to find that bit of good that I can enjoy and appreciate. So often I hear critical comments about others, but I have always found the ability to get along with most folks. Once again, I do not know if I learned it or was born with the ability to get along, or whether I work harder at getting along with people, but it is certainly true that I am not bothered about situations that seem to upset others. I wonder if I can help the grand-children learn this, because it certainly makes my life easier and would do the same for them. Time will tell.

August 22, 2008. Western Head, N.S. Turning into Good

Ken and I have just had two delightful days. Over the years, we have gotten really good at making a wonderful interlude into what others would say would be a big nuisance. It all started by solving one problem, only to find that we had another very irritating problem on our hands. At the cottage, we replaced a wood for a propane stove. Two gas cannisters were installed, each 100 gallon tanks. In July when we noted that the tanks were empty, Ken called for the propane to be delivered, only to be told that there was no delivery service to Ponhook Lake. So he called other providers with the same results. He was irritated, that the company would install these large tanks and then not service them. They told us to bring the empty tanks into their place in Bridgewater. It turns out that no one in Liverpool will fill these tanks either, so we really had no choice. Yesterday was the day for a trial run. We brought one empty tank with us from the cottage in the truck, the last day we were there, so we were all set. The day was lovely, so I suggested that we drive along the shore, then along the river to Bridgewater, which we did. We stopped at the Cove Cafe for ice cream and pie in the morning, and to see Tom at the Joy of Antiques. The ship building shop right across from them had burned to the ground last week. It was a sickening sight. About that, Ken asked me if I knew when this Scotia Propane was located, and I said yes, so we headed right to where we both knew to be the right place. Except they were not there.

Now Bridgewater is a bit like Hagerstown, in that we have been there hundreds of time, but we still get lost. Not really lost, but certainly not where we wanted to be. We called the company for directions and we followed their instructions to the letter, except we were lost again. After two more phone calls, we found them and they could not have been nicer. On the phone they told us that the man who could fill the tank was out on a service call, there- fore, we must leave the tank. I was not pleased, and I think I was rude and obnoxious. By the time we found them, the man was back and could fill the tanks. Right next door to them was a coffee roasting plant so I was able to purchase some fancy coffee for friends. So it worked out after all, even though it was a nuisance. With the tank full, we drove straight to the cottege, and by driving the truck very close to the location of the hook-up,Ken was able to connect the one full tank, and put the empty tank on the truck. We sat by the water and did nothing at all but enjoy the peace.

On the way home, we stopped to see the finished gift for Gary. Barbara was home and was more than happy to show us this charming cottage by the river. Gary was thrilled and has worked hard to clean out the shrubbery to allow a view of the water and the rocks. It was about six oclock in the evening, so we three sat on the porch and drank a glass of wine. While we were there a pair of Osprey were souring and swooping over the River, but best of all, a Bald Eagle was sitting on the top of a tall Spruce tree, waiting to find supper. Just as we were leaving, the black ducks wander up to be fed. Now all this water life was never seen by Gary and Barbara prior to the construction of this little cabin. It is just amazing how so much can come from something so small.

When we finally got home, we discovered that a package had been delivered, but not left, so tomorrow we must once again drive to Bridgewater to collect the package, and while there, fill the second tank. Today we did it, and another lovely day we had too. Lunch at our favorite restaurant in Mahone Bay, and back roads to the cottage, followed by a swim and a good read. We ate dinner at the cottage, then home for a hot tub.

Now I do not know where this ability comes from, whether learned or inherited, but I do know, that almost anything can turn into a pleasure, if you keep your eyes open to see the charm. It is a great blessing, to ignore the irritations of life and just deal with them, while all along you spot the pleasure. Ken and I have just spent two delightful days, doing tasks that we thought were a huge nuisance. We won the lottery today and yesterday.

August 21, 2008. Western Head, N.S. David Nickerson

Three minutes earlier and David would have found us in the hot tub in our all-togethers. I was in the garage wearing my robe when he drove up the driveway to pick up a table. The evening was beautiful with the sunset glorious, so I suggested a hot tub. Almost no one comes over unannounced at that time, so out we went to enjoy the evening while the twilight was fading. One of the arms of an old drop leaf table is broken and David has offered to make the repairs. Remember, David is the man who made the bed and table for the Carriage house. Just now, he is making us a coffee table and two side tables. They were supposed to be finished by now, but David is a slow worker, and I am patient, so we are happy to wait. His workshop is in Moose Harbor, not too far from The Head, so on his way home, he just took a chance and came over to pick up this old table. Ken and I bought this old table at a used furniture store, because it is the exact height and width of our dining table, and we use it to extend the table for large groups. When Ken stripped all the black paint off the top, we discovered that the 23 inch top is made of one piece of pine. Now very large white pine trees have not been around for a long time, not since the mid to late 19th Century, so this table is very old. Now it will get repaired properly. David commented that he had never been in a hot tub in his life. But he almost got a whole lot more of the hot tub than he would have wanted!!

August 20, 2008. Western Head, N.S.

Yesterday was Kens 72nd Birthday. When asked by me what he wanted to do for his special day,his answer was to stay the day and night at the cottage, and go fishing with Vinal, so that is exactly what we did. We went to the cottage right after breakfast yesterday and came home today late afternoon. But the best part was when we ate a piece of Christinas cake for dessert. Now we have very few routines surrounding Kens birthday. There are many reasons for this. Ken does not like to celebrate his birthday, and he certainly does not like to be the certer of attention. Also, for years we were travelling in August, so we often forgot the dates until we got home, where we discovered that both Kens birthday and our Anniversary were long past the time when celebration was reasonable. Now that we are old and fixed in place in August, I like to celebrate both events, so yesterday we celebrated at the cottage with Betty and Vinal. Betty brought home made soup for dinner and Vinal made a bonfire to cook hot dogs. Ken was happy, except, the fishing was rained out. This is the first time this year that we have stayed over-night at the cottage. We liked it. and will do it again before the end of the season. Christina is a very good baker and every year, she makes Ken a chocolate cake. It is the best cake you have ever tasted, so for Christina to bake Ken this special cake for his Birthday is a high light of his Birthday. I enjoy it too,

Yesterday when we arrived at the cottage I went straight to the deck by the water. I took the binoculars, my magazines and a bottle of water. The first thing I heard was the sound of the loons. and what a wierd sound they make. I never saw them, but the cackle went on for several minutes. Then just a few minutes later a mink scurried across the boat ramp. Finally, a belted Kingfisher flew over to the railing just three feet away from my chair. She had a four inch fish cross-way in her beak. The bird was very startled and flew off after less than a minute, but I was thrilled to see this bird so close to me. All this occured in the first five mintes after I sat down. Nothing exciting after those five minutes, so I got to work reading my magazines. For the past two weeks, I have done nothing but talk, now I am ready to read.

But I must say, it is a little quiet around here. I had tea with Mary and Clif late this afternoon, and we three agreed that it will take a bit of adjustment, getting used to the quiet. Now Ken and I are gathering information for our trip up the 281 Highway. We are looking forward!!

August 18, 2008. Western Head, N.S. Quiet.

Yesterday we went to the cottage. The day was sunny and warm, a perfect day for swimming. It is unusual at our lake, but yesterday we had a pesky sea-doo buzzing around the raft. Also water skiing was happening right in front of the cottage. In fact, once they drove right between the raft and the dock. It is interesting to watch, but I prefer the peace and quiet. We are really spoiled. While Ken went for a paddle in the Poke boat, I wrote notes sitting on the dock, and of course, I went swimming once or twice. I wonder what the ski boat would do if I had been in the water. Our late lunch up on the deck was where we saw the boat and skier between the raft and dock. It is actually quite dangerous as submerged rocks are in that area. One day soon we will stay out at the cottage all day, and might even stay over night. It is a lovely quiet place, but we do love to hear the sound of the surf at night, so we are prone to sleep at our ocean house.

Saturday was the day to get the house in order. Ken spent all afternoon tracking down lost kites and removing the tangles. Then he pinned them up on the clothes line in the garage, all ready for next year. In years past, the kites were stored on top of the garage refrigerator, but we have so many, I suggested that we needed a proper storage, so Ken cleverly used the clothes line. They look cheery, with their gaily colored shapes all in a row. Now all the beds are made and the towels washed and put away. My desk no longer is covered with stuff. The folders from our celebration are put in a box ready for storage here and all the books returned to their proper place. I have done nothing about the toys, as the Mitchell children were still here, and they like to come over and play on Connor and in the garage with the toys. They left yesterday afternoon, so soon I will attack and organize the toys. After that, I can return to my reading and walking.

More friends are leaving. The Elys leave for home tomorrow and Gill leaves on Wednesday. Only the Mitchells and us will be here to hold the fort. The quiet will be defeafening, I am sure, but we will enjoy it too, I am sure.

August 17, 2008. Western Head, N.S. Organization.

Now the event is set. The dates and places and caterers booked. Now the time is 14 months before the celebration. The next step is to list the specific tasks to be done next, and make a file for each task. My list included the tent, port-a-potty,musicians, accomodations, e mail records, major vendors, wine,systems at home, invitations. I use the file folders becauses they are more portable and can be carried in the truck and my back pack, rather than using the computer. Then I deal with item in turn and make decisions and record the information in the file. For instance, we asked many folks in town about tents, and finally settled on the Company our of New Brunswick who installed the tents at the Privateers weekend in Liverpool July 1st. All the decisions were made by July, 2007. Back at work, I ordered the Save The Date card, to be sent out in the late Fall.

Before sending out the card I got on my cell phone to call many friends and relatives to give them some advance warning about our event, so the card would not come as a total surprise. I also asked my nephew, Norm, if he would make a very brief toast at the Saturday evening party. He is very busy, but he promised to come, especially as I gave hime 18 months warning.So now the event is planned and all we must do now is fill in all the blank spaces in the files. Ken and I met a man at the Lunenburg Craft Festival in August who is from a small Winery in Nova Scotia, so the next time we were in town, we drove over to his place to taste some wine. We did wonder whether tasting wine at eleven oclock in the morning was wise, but we ordered the wine, to be delivered in March. Another item filled into the folders. And on it went, one item at a time.

Eventually, everything was in place, and then all I had to do was relax and enjoy the party, all two weeks of the party. The trick to planning an event is to do it well ahead, and to leave nothing to chance. Every detail in place, from the number of napkins we might need to the size and number of the cutlery. Then, the week before, I contact all the players, to be sure all is well. It is really a piece of cake. But you must know right from the beginning just what you want the event to be like. If you do not have a firm image in your mind, other people will lead you here or there, based on their idea for your event. And that is the way to plan a 50Th Wedding Anniversary party.

August 16, 2008. Western Head, N.S. Organization

The most important part of organizing an event is to decide what you want the event to be like, at first in general, and then the specifics, but still all in your head and your discussions with your spouse. When the event is clearly in your mind as to what your want, now take pen and paper to map out the events. Now I am 20 months prior to the event. I knew that some folks would come for two full weeks, some for the long weekend and more for the weekend itself, so I started to map out the events for the weekend, and decided on dinner at our home Friday and Sunday, hot dog roast at the Cottage on Saturday at noon, the party and dinner dance Saturday night, and Brunch on Sunday. I decided to serve dinner every night at our house, so that as people arrived in Liverpool, they would have the opportunity to meet and greet the children and other relatives and friends. So now the event is all set in my mind. Now all I must do is fill in the blanks. The hardest part is the thinking through of the event and deciding how you want the event to proceed through the celebration. Several folks have asked if I knew if the event would be as wonderful as the event turned out to be. I responded correctly that I was very pleased that every one was happy with the parties, but it all turned out exactly as I had expected it would be. In other words, I started with my thinking process with the event as the final product, then it was merely putting together all the pieces of the puzzle.

Next I made a tentative guest list, and projected the numbers who were potentially likely to attend. Then I contacted the locations for the party and brunch. White Point Resort could only accomodate me for the Saturday the 9Th of August, so that fixed the date for that weekend. Lanes Privateer Inn could do the Brunch, and the Caterer was available for the weekend and for several days before and after the weekend. So now I am set for the events and the locations for the events. My time period is 18 months prior to the event. Next I booked accomodation for those coming from out of town. I booked four different cottages close to my house, all seven of the rooms in the Morton House Inn in Milton, three rooms in the Left Bank Bed and Breakfast, and a block of rooms at Lanes and White Point. So now the place to stay is set. Then I set up my files filled in the fine print. They will come next time.

August 15, 2008. Western Head. Endings.

The port-a-potties are gone. The tent has been dismantled and taken away. Our last supper occured tonight. The party is officially over. But what a party it has been. For two weeks, we had dinner together every night in the tent, with an always enlarging group of friends and relatives, then with a constantly decreasing number until tonight, when we were a small group of ten. Tomorrow, they will all be gone and our house restore to order, but we will miss them all.

To organize an event such as this is really quite simple. The most important part is to start with the end in mind. For example, Mitch mentioned at our 45Th that we should consider our Nova Scotia home for the 50Th Celebration, as the children of the four Families would love to come, and could stay with their parents. So Ken and I thought about the idea, and decided that it was a good idea. Many friends and relatives had never been to Nova Scotia, so this might bribe them to come and see the beautiful Nova Scotia. Then three years ago I casually asked several friends and relatives what they thought about the idea, and each one thought that it was a good idea. Ken and I talked about what type of event we wanted and who we wished to invite. Our early decisions were critical for the success. We wanted to invite every one who had been important during our life, and we thought that as folks would be coming for so far away, we needed to have multiple events. The next step, two years ago was to ask our boys and daughters-in-law, and when they were enthusiastic, we set a date, giving two alternate weekends acceptable to all.

So now we are set to get started. Several parts of the event had to be considered. I did not want to have the daughters-in-law or my relatives working away in the kitchen and I did not want to do the same. I wanted our relatives and friends to be able to meet and greet and talk and get to know each other. Both of us have relatives living all over the U.S. and Canada, and even the cousins and their off-spring did not know each other very well. And I did not the event to be pretentious or fancy. Just good solid food, decent wine, and no fuss and muss.

So the most important part of the event is to decide what the event looks like in your mind. When this is decided, then you can fill in the details, which will come next.

August 14, 2008. Western Head. The Great Departure.

Every day another friend or relative bids us farewell. Except now we know them better than we knew them before, so I am so pleased that we went to the effort to put together our 50Th Celebration. The children had a blast, with enough cousins between six and eleven to keep them busy and happy. Now we are down to the hard core of brothers and sisters, who will also be heading home on Saturday. Our plan was to have dinner every night at our house, for all the relatives and friends who had come for our celebation, so even though they were touring around the province, every evening they came to our tent for meeting and greeting and having dinner. Dinner was provided by different caterers, and we used paper plates and plastic cutlery, and the caterers cleaned up the kitchen, so no one, including me, was responsible for any work or clean-up. We kept wine, water and sodas in coolers in the tent, so every one could help themselves. It was a smashing success. Bt the end of the time together, everyone were fast friends. All our efforts were rewarded. One of the eight year old cousins asked her Mother if we were going to have a 51st Celebration next year, but we said no. Perhaps for our 55Th.

Several friends who attended our celebration asked me to write something about the organization of the event, so I will do it tomorrow. I am prone to find errors in the planning, but for this event, most of the details were put into place with no glitches that were noticable. On the Saturday party at White Point, only one bar tender was in place, but after I spoke firmly and sternly, another bartender was brought over and the lines disappeared. Then on the Sunday dinner at our home, the traffic flow for picking up food was awkward, but that also was changed. So I was happy with the organization for the event and with the implementation of the event. But the most important part is that everyone seemed to really enjoy coming. It was worth every effort and expense by Ken and me. Now we have memories for a lifetime...and so do our friends and relatives.

August 12, 2008. Western Head, N.S. Celebration.

Our Celebration continues unabated. The only problem has been my lack of time to sit down and evaluate and report the events. All went well. The children had a blast the whole time, as did the young adults. The organization for the meals and the various details all worked as planned, so I am pleased and happy with our 50Th. Now the clan, which had been gathering and growing, is beginning to shrink. At a time like that, I have several options in response. The overwhelming feeling for me is one of gratitude, that Ken and I were able to bring together our friends and relatives from all over North America, and have them leave with wonderful memories. The relationships formed and solidified during this Celebration, with a little nurturing, will last a whole life through. I belive that this is the reason we planned this Celebration. And it was a success.

David and Suzanne and the four girls left for Texas today. The girls must start school. Suzanne provided a huge amount of her energy organizing the activities with the children. For example, Sunday evening after dinner, all the females of the species went over to the Baby Bog for an evening of painting nails and toes. The adults and young adults did the painting and the little girls did the decoration Then, all the girls under 12 years of age stayed for a sleepover. So, eight little girls had a memory to cherish. And Randy and Gaby took over four dozen donute for breakfast the next morning.

Every night, David and Andrew made a fire down by the water, so the men and the younger adults all joined them for the rest of the evening. In addition, games were going on in every room. For the first time ever, Gary was beated at Risk. These have been red letter days indeed. And I am grateful.

August 9, 2008. Western Head, N.S. The Cottage.

Our little cottage at Ponhook Lake is very simple. It consists of a very small one bedroon cabin, a change house with a toilet, sink and shower, and a large boat house and work shop. The dock facility and decking was installed last winter, as was the new ramp. So now we can function very well . It is cosy and warm. Today, it was stressed, but it stood the test and came up smiling. As part of our 50th Celebration, at noon, we held a wiener roast at the cottage. We expected the children and their parents would come, along with our relatives, but it turned out that almost 80 people came. They swam and boated and roasted wieners over the open fire. We ate hot dogs and potato chips, and nothing else. No salads and no dessert. We ran out of chips. We ran out of buns but no one seemed to mind. In fact, everyone had a wonderful time. The young adults and the children spent the bulk of the time at the raft, jumping in the water, singing and laughing. Eric, my nephew from Vancouver, who is 19, looked like the pied piper out at the raft, leading a follow the leader in the water. At least, it looked like that was what he was doing watching from shore. The little girls had a wonderful time.

Once again, we are grateful that we planned ahead. All our friends and relatives who spent time at the cottage today were grateful that we were able to buy and improve the cottage facilities, so we could all enjoy such a lovely day . The weather was lovely, which of course makes everything easier, but everyone loved the day by the lake. And the facilities proved up to the task. Once again, Ken and I are grateful that we had the fore-sight to to think through what we needed and wanted in a cottage facility, then had the resources to make the up-grades to make it comfortable. The truth is, the whole place did not cost a lot of money, but it certainly has payed us dividends in pleasure, both for us and for our friends and relatives. Today was for us a reward for our efforts, to see our friends, relatives and grand-children spend such a lovely day by the lake.

August 8, 2008. Western Head, N.S. Cousins.

I looked into the dining room from the deck. Eight little girls and two ladies were playing a card game. They were eager and enthusiastic. They were laughing and noisy. They were having the time of their life. They were cousins. Some live in Toronto and some live in San Antonio and some are about to live in Jackson, but last night they were loving the moment that they all came together to celebrate our 50th, and as an added benefit, they were playing with their cousins and two aunts. It was fun for all, but especially for me, to watch their beaming faces from the deck. It was a moment to cherish.

Tonight was the first of our weekend celebration. All went just as we planned. The food was wonderful, the music tasteful, the guests lively. I enjoyed the party and the people and so did the children. I am not sure why it was so important to try to bring friends and relatives together, but everyone seems grateful that we decided this celebration would be held in Nova Scotia, and that we would try to bring all our relatives and important people from our past lives together. But it was worth every bit of effort on our part when I see the pleasure in the faces. Now we will enjoy the rest of the weekend.

August 7, 2008. The Best Laid Plans. Western Head.

I love it when this happens. Yesterday evening the little girls watched a DVD. Sarah had a difficult time making it all work, as the system is quite complicated. Suzanne played the part of the Fairy godmother and made everything work properly. I was too tired to write my little web log at bedtime, so did not turn on the computer and the Internet. This morning, as is his custom, Ken sat down to look at the weather channel. The TV would not work. He thought that the girls somehow pushed the wrong buttons, but despite reading the directions, the cable TV would not work. He asked Suzanne to see what she did to make it work last night, but to no avail. He asked Sarah to try and fix it, as she is 10 and technically proficient. Nothing was working. Just a blank screen.

Then light dawned in Kens mind. Our credit card has changed for Canada, and the old automatic payment was one month over-due. Ken forgot to alert the company of the new card number, so of course, the computer automatically, at the company, turned off our cable TV for non payment of fees. Can you believe it. Not a problem of the girls pushing buttons. Not Suzanne turning off the wrong machine. Just a simple fact of an unpaid bill. Now is the best part. The modern world is wonderful. Ken phoned the company and gave them the new number on a recording, and now the system is working. Now we must tell the little girls that it was not their fault. It is so nice when it is not my problem.

August 5, 2008. Western Head, N.S. The Short Run.

Someone told Elise that the loop in front our house was three and a half Kilometer to go the full circle, so today she and her Mother went for a run. Elise is seventeen, and an athelete. So off they went. After thirty minutes, Mother Anne turned back for home. Anne was holding Elise back because of the difference in their speeds. Elise kept going, and going, and going. Finally, an hour after Anne returned home, Ken the Father went searching for Elise and found her still two K from home. The loop actually is almost eighteen K around the loop, but there is a three and a half difference between the two branches of the loop. The moral of the story is that when you are in a new area, always ask at least two sets of directions before you set out for your run.

Ken and Anne live in Vancouver with their two children, who are Eric who is 19 and Elise who is 17. Ken is my nephew, the youngest child of my brother David. Since the time he was the youngest child, he was mechanically inclined. He could take things apart and put things back the same way. As a young kid, he wired their whole house for sound, long before it was easy. He was a Physics major, as is his wife, who has her PhD in Physics. We love having them around because they think about things in a different way. Andrew and David, Ken and I are delighted that they are spending two weeks in Nova Scotia, to attend our celebration, and we are delighted they are getting to explore Nova Scotia. They are some of our most favorite relatives and they are visiting one of our most favorite places. That is about as good as it gets!!

August 4, 2008. Western Head, N.S. Men.

It is a man thing I think. At least it would never cross my mind. Last evening we all came back from Gills, from a very lovely cocktail reception. Ken and I were first home because Ken was weary from all these people and wanted to rest before dinner. People came back in dribs and drabs, while I organized the light dinner of left overs. It was overcast and a bit drizzly. My sons, Andrew and Davis, immediately built a fire down by the shore, and as people arrived, they went down to talk to the kids, then wandered up for dinner when it was ready. Most adults ate in the house, but four of the men stayed down by the fire all the rest of the night. My nephew Ken Buckley and his son Eric stayed down with Andrew and David all the rest of the evening, never coming in except to take a plate of dinner then return to the fire and the water side. It sounds lovely, except it was raining, sometimes hard and sometimes just a drizzle, but definately raining, but they just built up the fire and kept talking. Now it is true that Andrew and David have not seen Ken and Eric for sixteen years, so they had some catching up to do, and Eric is going into second year of Eingineering at U.B.C. and Ken does Physics there, so they did have a lot to talk about. Bit by bit our relatives left to their respective homes, but those four men just stayed out by the fire talking. They were happy as clams. But I think it is a man thing.

Today we went walking on the beach in the fog. The little girls all told us they were not going into the water, because they knew the water was so cold, so we took no towels. I was walking down to the water with the six little girls, and within thirty seconds, they were all in the water. Shirts and shoes thrown in every direction as they raced into the water. It was quite a sight to behold. After lunch at the Quarterdeck Restaurant, the girls finally warmed up in the hot tub at home. Ken commented that it was a good thing the hot tub had been repaired, or the girls might be cold now. The rest of the afternoon, the kites came out and up successfully. David loves to fly kites, and the wind always blows, so kite flying is high on the list of activities. They actually brought four new kite with them from Texas. Now we all go to the Mitchell home for a reception, then back to our home for dinner, cooked by Mitch Williams, the best Caterer in Liverpool. How sweet it is.

August3, 2008. Western Head. Gathering of the Clan.

It started on the First of August and continued on the Second. We arrived first, be followed soon by David and Suzanne and the four girls. The next day Dave and Irene arrived, and Andrew and Christina and the three girls. Pat and Mal came too, as well as Kieth and Wilma and Darlene. Then came Ken and Anne and Eric and Elise, all the way from Vancouver. And Carol and Ken came in town too. Our group of related folks are gathering bit by bit. It is a wonder to behold. Last night our friends who built houses came for dinner to meet our kin folks. Our friends had their children too along with their off-spring, so we were a merry group of 40 at dinner. My favorite caterer served a pasta bar. It was a big hit to both children and adults. So far, every plan has worked out very well and I have not cooked a thing.

Today, some of us went to the cottage, even thoough the rains came now and then. Everyone swam and played and enjoyed themselves. Gill had a reception for all of us this evening, then my family came back to my house for dinner. David and Andrew and Eric and Ken are still solving the world problems, out by the fire in the rain. The cousins are enjoying each other. Molly is a sweet baby. All the adults are delighted to be together. We did a good thing when we decided to have our 50th Anniversary here in Nova Scotia. So far, I am pleased with our plans.

August 1, 2008. Western Head, N.S. Airport Tantrum

Everything he said was correct. But by the time the plane was boarding, no one would give up their seat to come on a later flight, because he was so nasty with the gate agent. It was an old fashioned two year old rage reaction, except this man was 50. It all took place in front of all 70 of us, waiting to board the plane for Halifax. He arrived with his wife and baby and two older boys, 16 and 12 years old. They met a man about the same age. They were all going on vacation together in Nova Scotia, visiting at the friends vacation house. The wife and family were already there, but a Surburban was left at the airport so they all could travel together. So it was a complicated situation, especially because the family did not have seat assignments. At first they were cool and assured each other that certainly they would each get a seat, but when it became apparent that no seats were available, the whole world erupted around him. Two people offered to give up their seats, but they needed two more, and no one was budging. The friend offered to take the boys with him, but the angry man refused to have his family separated. It was a pathetic display. The poor woman who was trying to help him received the brunt of his anger, until she finally asked for a Manager for help, but to no avail. It was a very difficult situation for this family. They were very excited to go to a new place, to visit a friends vacation house, and they had a baby to contend with too. But everything he did and said made everything worse. Finally, they booked them on a flight tomorrow, but I wonder if the flight tomorrow is over sold also. It was quite a remarkable display of stupidity, right in front of our eyes.