Saturday, August 10, 2013

I had word this morning that my Aunt Dorothy has passed. Aunt Dorothy was the only relative left from my parent’s generation. Although I haven’t seen her for quite some time, I always kept track of how she was doing through Deloise. We planned to visit her on several of my trips to Saskatoon but it never seemed to work out. Joe, her husband, or one of her sons would say she wasn’t having a good spell and that a visit from someone she “didn’t know” might upset her.

I never stayed overnight anywhere when I was growing up; in truth until I was grown up I didn’t stay overnight anywhere! I recall quite fondly though staying at Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Frank’s when Mum and Dad attended a funeral in Manitoba. I must not have been homesick or it wouldn’t be a happy memory. Stacia and I slept upstairs in a room with a big feather bed and a washstand with a china basin and pitcher. They weren’t there for decoration; we were brought warm water in the morning. Aunt Dorothy’s was our “storm stayed” house when we were in school in Wartime.

As I was growing up, about this time of year, Stacia and I would spend a day in town with Aunt Dorothy. I remember baking with her and often running to the store for ingredients, and usually a treat! I have a photo of Stacia and I, taken at Aunt Dorothy’s, in our Hallowe’en costumes – gypsies of course!

Just a short time ago Deloise saw Aunt Dorothy when she was out for an ice cream treat with her son. She appeared happy, knew who Deloise was, and they had a good visit.