I was born in Vancouver. One of nine children. And I grew up in Point Grey, on 26th and Dunbar.
I attended Immaculate Conception school. It was run by nuns, and priests. Not fun. Quite scary, in fact, back in the day, the nuns could give you a couple of whacks with their wooden ruler. Across the bare behind, if you were really bad. I only got it across the hand, for something like talking in class, or giggling. Well, I survived, and continued on to Lord Byng. Gradutating. Then worked for my Dad, painting houses. Only he wouldn't let me up on a ladder, so I did all the ground work, porches, stairs, railings. Not very exciting.
Growing up in a big family was like the school of hard knocks. You learned survival skills early. If you saw Fruit Loops come into the house, and you didn't have a bowl ful right then and there, you probably were going to miss out.
You could always tell if my youngest brother was cooking his own breakfast, because of the smell of burning plastic would fill the house. He would climb on the stove, and start frying himself an egg. But he would sit on the stove top to do this, usually the element was still hot from mom boiling water for tea, and the smell of his burning rubber pants would soon have everyone running around, yelling.
Sundays we would all go swimming at the YMCA. Or we would go visit Grandma and Grandpa in White Rock. After we had attended church in the morning. Mom sang in the choir. Then came home to make us this massive breakfast. Scrambled eggs, mountains of toast, endless sausages, and all the tea you could drink. It was either that or lumpy powdered skim milk. Blecch!
Mom made her own bread, canned all the fruit people would give us, lots of stews and soups. But best of all was Sunday night dinner. There would be roast beef, or chicken. With creamy mashed potatoes, gravy, some kind of veggies. And usually two kinds of pie to choose from.
I don't know how they managed to feed us so well. No one went hungry, that's for sure.
Summers were spent at Jericho beach. Every day we would walk there from our home on 26th, and spend the entire day playing at the edge of the surf, building sandcastle's, collecting seashells, finding crabs, and special rocks. Eating fish and chips, and horseshoe suckers. It was magical. Love that beach. I want my ashes scattered there.
After working for Dad for a year, I stayed home to become a mommy. Then back to school. This time to become an LPN, that's a nurse, not quite an RN, but that lasted a good 8 years, till I hurt my back a bunch of times, and went back to school again. This time to become a Medical Laboratory Assistant. Then again returning to school at BCIT, at 40 years of age, to become a Technologist. And this is where I am now. Working full time.
When I'm not at work, I can be found, walking the dog along the dyke, riding my bike, painting, reading or writing.
I live in Pitt Meadows with my husband, and our Diesel dog.
I have two grown daughters, and three grandchildren. I am very blessed.
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