June 26, 1985 Point aux Pins
Wednesday: the wind is southeast strong and cool.
If it would be still, the air is warm the sunny this first day at camp. I have
been out since 11 AM. I was not able to hold Joanne Rachel Kyle Michael and
Stephen any longer especially Kyle and Michael. They have already had their
first swim of the season in rough water that is ice cold. There isn't much
beach this year, only about 4 feet of sand. The river and lake level is very
high.
They sang
coming out in the car and I had the strange “déjà vu” feeling instead of the combined
Punches and Olsens, it could have been the other generation of McIntyre's and
Punches.
Mary has rented
Marg Kelly's cottage at Point Louise again this year. For three weeks Mary Anne,
Lauren, Catherine and Tarryn and will be there. Joanna is already begging to go
down there. I am sure it is nicer there this afternoon as the wind is whistling
directly at us, so they, beyond the point would be sheltered.
The cottage was
so damp and cold that we had to put the oil stove on. We have had a long
miserable winter and no spring, cold, cold, cold, and we have already passed
the longest day of the year and are headed towards fall. Ugh a horrible thought!
Rachel is braving the water now, mauve bathing
suit, long black hair flying in the wind! Kyle, Michael, Steven and Merwan are
racing across the lawn and jumping from the grass to the beach and into the
water. How do they bear it the wind is so chill! Layla and Joanna are in the
shelter of a bush talking.
I brought the bare essentials out in the
station wagon. The girls are grocery shopping tonight. The wind is winning!
June 29, 1985
Christina and
Tricia Ryan went into town last evening because Suzanne was going to be there.
At 14 they are bored. There is nothing to do, there is nowhere to go! Mary Jane
says it reminds her of 1959. Wilf says “here we go again” and I say “it was
such a short time ago”.
Steven is beside
me on the deck chair. The boat fell on his toe when it was being launched. His
eye is swollen shut from a fly bite. He says that this isn't going to be a good
year.
Brendon is bored too, but not so obviously
vociferously, sullenly as the girls. He walks the beach, drapes himself off the
Chesterfield and foosters in the boat and eats. Michael goes fishing and
swimming and bicycling and listens to the ghetto blaster at top volume but busy,
busy, busy. Joanna is so full of the joy of living that she seldom walks it is
a hop skip and cartwheel.
There is a freighter passing, an old one,
rather scruffy. We have seen one huge Saltie from Greece another one from we
don't know where, but few ships compared to the 70s.
Brendon and
Jimmy Hayden are back, having caught “3 million minnows”. There are five
children on the dock from the next two cottages all five and under.
Harriet Black is selling her cottage. Her land
forms one arm of “Teen Bay” of old to form the cove where the French built ships
in the 1730s. The price is $235,000! She
is advertising in American papers with the dollar devalued she hopes for a rich
American. Mrs. Grady's cottage beyond point Louise is on the market, not
winterized at $125,000. It is the land! The Savoie's, at Point Louise are
selling. The location makes it prime real estate. Mrs. Grady's is much too much!
Brendon is going fishing; our motor is a
challenge because it takes a little wheedling to start. There are no water
skiers, there are no powerboats, and there is no store for the young people to
use as a focal gathering place. I have a feeling that this may be our last year
here. Maybe we could rent on St. Joseph's Island and let the young ones come
and go as they will. The only problem is that the girls are working and cannot let
them loose, but there would be more activity at Hilton, their Community Night,
the Village Strawberry Festival, etc.
This year we have
rented a place on Manitoulin over Haw Eaters Weekend, the “Rock Garden Chalet
August 1 to the sixth. We left it so late we did not have a choice, $69 a night
overlooking the lake, carpeted and with television, really roughing it the way Wilf
likes it. John is here so the weekend is beginning. Monday is Canada Day July
1.
July 3, 1985.
The weekend was glorious sunshine and breezy,
the water is still very cold for swimming, I know because I waded knee-deep in
it last evening helping a lady rescue a drifting boat. Pain!
I have been doing theatrical reading. “Alan
J Lerner” “The Street Where I Live”, the making of the musical comedies “My Fair
Lady, Gigi, Camelot”. Interesting!
Christina is desolate out here. She and her
former friend Rachel Heydon from London (Lucille Daly’s great granddaughter) no
longer have anything in common. There are no other young people her age.
Brendon goes in to play golf or hockey so he gets a break, because there are no
boys his age, although he and Jimmy Hayden relate pretty well. Michael has Merwan
and they fish the Allagash regularly. Joanna bounces from one group to the
other, there are several her age. Steven is by himself a lot, but adapts.
Today is Lauren's second birthday. The
little ones are going but it was not too successful last year. Lauren's
paternal grandmother is possessive, protective, and a pain, and I think
contributes a great deal to Lauren's present inability to get along with Tarryn.
She is used to the adulation of many adults and can't share. She'll develop it
on her own, and is a very pretty funny little girl.
Tarryn
is a picture book child, ash blonde curls, huge blue eyes and very active.
Reminds me of Patrick at the same age! He came down here for a bath the other evening;
there is no tub at Mary's cottage.
I am going in this morning for Marguerite Gearhart's
funeral. A long slow painful death from cancer! She determinedly stayed alive
until her youngest daughter Lisa was graduated as a nurse. Rest her; she was a
golden girl who had a very difficult life. I will stay in for the night and
prepare for Jimmy's arrival tomorrow.
Joanna's birthday is tomorrow but we will
try to postpone it until Friday because Suzanne will be off. She is on 3 to 11
at present. Mary Jane and Suzanne are crisp with sunburn. I am slowly tanning.
John
has the boat out here and is as usual sailing with every available breeze. Just
got a call from Mary Jane, Suzanne is on the way out and didn't check and Brendon
wants a ride! Miss Flibberty Gibbet on the run!
I bought a TV on the spur of the moment last
Saturday. Wilf wouldn't lend us his small TV, which he uses occasionally in his
room. I wanted one for a long time to be able to watch the programs I like in
comfort. Wilf controls the remote control and switches in the middle of
programs and lingers on the food ads. He is stuck on a plateau in his weight
loss, talks about his diet a lot except at meal times when he overeats. So be
it. The Olsens are still sleeping and it is 11 AM. I'm glad the Yorke’s are around
here most mornings to get them up.
We watched “Places in the Heart” last night,
(Suzanne brought her VCR out), too late. Mary came over, and in the fight
scenes with the Ku Klux Klan, Joanna lay on my knee, arms around me, singing at
the top of her voice so she would neither see nor hear it.
1985
July 15th Francolini's Cottage
Monday: I cannot believe that we are well
into our third week at the Point. Jim and Sue have come and gone, bringing with
them lots of activity fun and laughter. Jimmy is as noisy as ever, full of life
enjoys, enjoys. We have had riotous games of Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit and
he and John have had a to the death cribbage cup series.
Michael brought his sailboat out and there
were many children laden trips. They have gone on holidays now too. They left
on Friday for Ottawa and are to meet Jim and Sue in Toronto today. Jim and Sue
are on the road now. It was so wonderful
to see them all together here enjoying each other. The cottage was sometimes
wall-to-wall children at night with the big room filled with the pullout bed
and cats and sleeping children.
Michael Yorke has just come in. He slept in
the bath house with Merwan. Everyone
else is sleeping. I had to put Joanna in my bed at 3 AM she was coughing so
hard. I hope I can keep her out of the water today. Mary and tribe moved in
from their camp on Saturday. Catherine and Tarryn return to Toronto tomorrow. Tarryn
is a beautiful blonde curly haired little fellow. He and Lauren Mary Anne’s
little girl do not get along. At two years old they cannot share their
territory. Lauren is the aggressor, the first angelic looking little witch I
have ever known. Blue-eyed, innocent looking, a very pretty child, and violently
tough! There is constant confrontation between the two.
I had
a great sail with John last Thursday breezy beautiful day. We went beyond the
point to Seagull Island close to Gros Cap. The waves sparkling, as we turned to
come home the wind quieted. We had just enough to coax a glide out of the boat.
We landed
under the blue blue skies and a few clouds of white fluff. Twenty minutes later
a black cloud appeared from Lake Superior. The wind came up, the level of the
river changed, and the water erased every vestige of beach. We watched as the
storm swept over the South Shore of the river. Curtains of rain pouring from
the clouds, lightning sporadically, and the temperature must have dropped at
least 10°, all in about one half an hour. It has been an unpredictable weather time. A
few sunny days one at a time, cool but not a great deal of rain during the day.
The first week was the worst. The mood of
the weather hatched Christina’s mood. Stormy! However both have improved. She has
had her friend Tricia Ryan out and she and Jennifer had a great time together
too. Amy and Tricia Ryan are here with her and Joanna. Night before last I was
the only adult. There was Steven and Brendon on the pullout bed, Trisha and
Christina on cots one beside, one at the foot off the bed. Joanna and Amy in
the middle room, Michael York and Michael McLean in the bedroom and me in the
front.
Daly’s had a bonfire! The little ones roasted
marshmallows and wieners first, came in about 10 PM to bed. The older ones
Rachel Hayden, (she and Christina have found a lot in common now!), Trisha
Brendon Christina Steven and several others from Disano’s down the beach had
their time until 12 midnight, told ghost stories and had a great time.
Yesterday Mary, Catherine, Tarryn, Lenore,
Brian, Judy, Shannon and Breanne, Mary Catherine Haley and Ruth Anne and a
friend all came out for a swim and had a beautiful afternoon. The older ones lie
on the deck of John sailboat and talk teenage talk, the others jump off the
dock and snorkel and catch frogs and collect crab claws.
Mary Jane is back to work today after two
weeks holidays. She stayed overnight only a couple of times, not a camper, or
at least a reluctant one. Suzanne is out as often as her shifts permit, she is
a camper. John is on a month’s holiday and is here and on his boat as often as
possible.
I am not sure how Suzanne’s love life is
going. She has been going out with
Laurie Hill a cardiologist but it is not a happy affair. She is edgy about it.
I have never met him, none of us have, and deliberately so on her part! This
was hurtful at first! I cannot really understand, either she is not sure of
herself or she knows he would not fit into our family affairs. Her children
have met him. Joanna blasted out of a group of her friends into the cottage to
ask Suzanne “What kind is he?” Suzanne “What do you mean?” Joanna “You know,
what kind is he, Filipino?” “NO” said Suzanne “Jamaican”. Joanna blasted back
to her group. Would be interesting to know the conversation that was going on! I
must make a cake and some cookies.
10:45 AM: the
only one up is Michael Yorke. He has made a couple of trips into the bathroom
because the “bath house” has no toilet and he spurns the outhouse.
I
have made my cake and the cookies are in the oven. I really should stand and
hold the door, because it doesn't close entirely and the heat escapes and
everything is very brown on the bottom. I am now sitting on a stool with my
right foot braced against the oven door. I make cakes and cookies nearly every
morning and they are demolished by nightfall. Food just disappears! John is the
official barbecue master. Tonight we are having “hotdogs” under protest. We try
to have hamburgers and hotdogs once a week but we embellish them with salads.
Wilf isn't coming out tonight as he has a K of
C meeting and is counting cash at the church this morning. He as always is not
a camper. This keeps my feet warm, I alternate feet on the oven and I haven't
gotten dressed yet this morning as I don't want to disturb Joanna after her bad
night. The denizens of the pullout bed haven't budged yet! Suzanne has called and is on her way out, I
must make the coffee.
The
cake is out and the cookies are out only slightly singed on the bottom.
We miss having Mary's beach. The children swam
there every day and sometimes twice a day. We have the bicycles out here and
they had transportation. I have my old no-speed bike out and enjoy once a day
at least ride up to the highway. Great exercise! You miss so much in a car. I
hear the birds, watch a chipmunks and squirrels, see the flowers in the ditches,
daisies and blue flags. I picked wild strawberries one afternoon backbreaking,
and they are so small, I only had a very small amount of them after one and a
half hours. The pines are always beautiful.
On Sunday there is mass at the tennis courts.
Father Dominic Koric a Franciscan monk who is at our Lady of the Highways. The
children enjoy him.
He is Ukrainian I think, or Croatian, anyway
a very thick accent and very traditional. If the children don't hold their
hands exactly, because he really doesn't approve of receiving the host in the
hand, he will slap their hands away and say “Opink mouth batter for children.”
The tennis court is surrounded by tall tall
Pines. Last Sunday it rained and we went to Fabbro’s where their large covered
patio is roofed, although still open sided. We all took our own folding chairs
and the remnants of the families who have been here for a long time. The
Bretons, the Hayes, Nancy Drayer, the Nori's, the Greco’s, the Daly’s the Nanne’s,
and others about 60 or 70 people, the young people in shorts and bare feet. A
collection helps father who has a very small parish and not much money.
We are in the throes of deciding to sell our
own house. Not easy, but I know it is time. It is in good condition now and the
neighborhood is changing and has changed. Wilf is not interested in even minor
repairs. Cutting the lawn is a chore. I will miss my garden very much.
The other decision, the accompanying
decision is apartment or smaller house. I do not like the apartment idea but I
know that it is the sensible decision, depending on the living space.
Wilf and I do not thrive on togetherness. I
need my room I need at least some of my books, typewriter and foostering space
but we do not need 11 rooms, galley kitchen on the third floor, two bathrooms,
three floors. We want to sell privately and will put it on the market in mid
August. I have psyched myself up to this point. So be it!
There is no great hurry if we don't sell
this summer I will remove it from the market and give it to the real estate broker
in the spring. Meanwhile I will check the apartments. There is a little house
on the corner of Centennial and Queen but it is very small.
I am going to get dressed and raise the
sleeping beauties. The fog has lifted and it will be a sunny lovely summer day.
July
16 1985
The birds are busy in the pine trees, pine
siskins I think. They fly so fast I can't be certain. One bird has a high Shree
Shree shrill and the long short notes afterwards. There is a squirrel running
up and down the tree trunks. It is cloudy and cool. A very cold wind from Lake Superior,
feels like a late August morning.
There was an incident of sexual
experimentation discovered yesterday by Lucille Daly, which upset her very much,
and all involved. No serious consequences and a good cautionary experience.
I am
drinking a cup of hot tea because the cottage is cool. I should put the oil
heater on. I am nervous of it because of its location in the cottage, between
the two doors that lead to the three bedrooms. At night I worry. Any problems
with it would effectively cut off all escape routes.
Mary
and I were counting the cottages we have been in at the point. Patterson's: Wilf
and I we rented it when Mary Jane was 10 months old. I have pictures of her
standing with her hand on the door frame about to step out. Also I have a
picture of her with mother, who always visited us once just to make certain we
were safe and warm.
Delayers:
We were together, outhouse and all; I think the McIntyre's and the Punches.
Then how could I forget out Attles Alley the
first joint effort and the boat “the Galway Bay”. Later Mary rented the Delayers.
Russell's:
We tried to cover the summer. I rented the cottage for one month and the
McIntyre the other. They got Russell's for several years then we rented Kurtz
together. The famous rain everyday summer! Pozzebons: In the bay where the
children pulled all the carefully planted flowers out. Disano’s jointly for
many years. No one knew that we paid half as we thought Disano’s might not have
liked it. Silly now, I realize that everyone thought we were leeching off the
McIntyre's.
Francolini’s
where we are now, while Mary is at Kelly's around the point. In between we were
at Maskinonge Bay which preceded Attles Alley the first joint venture.
Two
years at Nelsons on St. Joseph's Island. I have notes on many of our
adventures.
I plan
on editing some of these stories and giving it to the children for Christmas.
The
sun is trying to break through the cloud cover. I only had the three Olsens
last night. They are all sleeping. Suzanne is bringing Chris Young, a friend of
Steven out today and Trisha and Amy Ryan, Christina and Joanna's friends, went
in with John and Michael for soccer and hockey last night.
Mary
Jane's holidays are over and she is back at work. Her boss Dr. Toye is on call
for the next five weeks so she will be hopping. He is taking most of September
off so she will have it easy then. She likes her job but wishes his office was
in a doctors building instead of in isolation over Royal Trust. He is good to
work for.
John
is enjoying his month-long holiday, enough wind for sailing. Michael and Donna
will be back on Saturday so this is the quiet week although Donna is off until
August 2. Michael is off for the Trans Superior July 27.
Wilf didn't come out yesterday. He takes over
the TV when he is out and has a fit when the conversation or the games prevent
him from hearing the baseball games or the news. He is not camper.
I am going to knit for a while I am trying a
Nordic sweater for Mary Jane for her birthday. I must write some letters too.
I'm going in on Wednesday evening or Thursday morning for a dinner for Sister
Shannon who is leaving the parish. Christina has an interview with Willie
Eisenbechler at the library tomorrow, is very apprehensive naturally.
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