One thing we like to do it talk about us.  We use the “I” word so often but when asked to mention 3 outstanding qualities about ourselves during a seminar or speech we draw a blank.  That doesn’t happen to me, in fact at a round circle bon fire the Five Sisters of Lavender had back a week ago I got to go first and I so love to talk and about me. Oh, I think I just love to talk, because I know someone is listening and talking is often a cure.  I started this blog for many reasons, one the most obvious was that my memory is like a book shelf and holds so much information and as I have been putting more books up onto the shelf others have fallen off the other side.  I’m afraid, afraid that I may let go some of the thoughts associated with everyday life, letting go feelings and  ideals leaving me with an empty shelf of books that can no longer be read because aging eyesight has prevailed.  This is special it is my 100th post and its about me.

1. Today I am still the middle child of 3 – I have two brothers.
2. I was born in Hull, Quebec in fact spent most of the years growing up in the small village of Westboro in Ottawa Ontario.
3. Living on a dead end street that had many large elm trees, named Elmgrove Ave.
4. My grandmum lived two houses away, my aunt across the street.
5. These two ladies alone are my biggest most inspiration in life.
6. We played hard as kids and slept well when we were sent to bed.
7. Some of the games we played were cops and robbers, hide and seek, street hockey, and tag.
8. It never failed, when the street lights went on it was time to come in.
9. In the Fall the lights come on early, and mom sent us too bed way to early.
10. I had my own room and was always moving stuff around, but it always looked the same, to say “nothing changed as a kid for me.”
11. I think we were poor, although we had a colour tv.
12. I got .25¢ a week and that bought a bag of chips, bottle of coke and a handful of bazooka gum.
13. Stamps were 3¢ to mail a letter and less for a post card.
14. I walked to school and came home for lunch each day.
15. I loved to draw and was encouraged by my dad to do so.
16. I was often found on my grandfather’s knee and have many  black and white photos to show for it, he was a carpenter and when he hit his thumb he said sugar ( swear), I only heard him say brown sugar once.
17. I am a good listener, this is something granddad made sure of, he was a story teller.
18. I remember him dying and leaving us just two days before Valentine’s Day
19. I was the only one who got to give him a Valentine card and say good bye. Feb 12 after I woke from bed at 9:30 made him a card and wouldn’t go back to sleep until dad took me to see him, I gave him his card and kissed him good bye.  He passed away 17 minutes after.
20. I remember how sad and angry Dad was believing I knew granddad was dying.  (I didn’t need to write this as this, I’ll never forget)
21. The corner of our the back yard was the corner yard of grandma’s house also.
22. After granddad passed away, I stayed most nights with my grandmum.
23. After mom put me to bed at night I climbed the window and went over the back fence, down the hill.
24. Grandma’s back door was never locked, she was always sitting at the table when I got there no matter the time, then off the two us us went to bed.
25. I remember she always burnt toast. I loved her so much as I watched her scrape the burnt off the toast into the sink.
26. We had a large garden in the City as farming was what most of the family did in Cheney Ont. G’mom & G’dad are buried there.
27. My Granddad went out West often on a vacation and took grandmum along.
28. I always wondered why they went West all the time and never knew.
29. He would secretively bring me back a dress from out West.
30. I remember the blue 3/4 length sensible dress with yellow, orange and blue pom-poms on it.
31. My dad had a hunt camp up North and we drove to the camp once a month.
32. No electricity or running water, just a spring out back and an outhouse with snakes and spiders.
33. Dad taught me to hunt and I was a good shot, we had lots of target practices.
34. I did go for my hunting license and FAC, and got it the first try.
35. Dad needed another license in the family to apply for a deer tag, my brother had a license also.
36. My favourite food, must of been when mom would crisp chicken in the oven, make rice and “Cordon Bleu” gravy.
37. I loved it when she brought me a brownie home from work.
38. We had to eat what we were given or we went hungry.
39. I remember mom coming in my room many a night and tucking me in and putting cereal under my pillow.
40. Family members reminded me how mom felt she was set in life; ya she had a son, nothing else mattered,  they felt sorry for me.
41. I just thought she didn’t have enough love to go around most times and hugs cost a lot.
42. Ya, she favoured my brother and it showed, I learned to love him a lot now that she is gone.
43. I truly miss her, and I’m reminded of her every time I hear a squeaky clothes line, she was forever hanging clothes.
44. Each time the Geese fly South I can hear her saying, “shew  shew, look at the geese.”
45. Shew was her word for keep quiet.  Mom gave in to her battle with cancer in January 2006
46. I felt she hadn’t taught me everything I needed to know in life but she is confidant I’ll get by.
47. I am feisty, outgoing, like a spring in a mattress,  I’ll bounce back where ever I am.
48. I attended community college in Ottawa, not the best years but some of them.
49. I was the only one who sent back the grant to cover my loan and didn’t buy a car that year.
50. I always wanted to be a mortician, in fact was registered to Toronto’s Hubert College to go and then realized I love people, live ones.
51. I never had a loan, dad always said if you can’t pay cash for it, you shouldn’t have it, there is no need.
52. I had better run along in the years or you are going to give up on me before I get to 100.
53. I met up with and married my school mate who I always loved, even to this day.
54. I have three children who I talk about and blog about often. However that marriage didn’t last.
55. For years it was the 4 of us, me,  Jennifer Lynn, Victoria Rose, and Matthew Ryan.
56. We were happy living on a street that dead ended with a large park and pool.
57. We had a big dog, a Bernese Mountain Dog that I got as a puppy when Matthew was 2 years old.
58. We named him Shep and he was a LARGE part of our family.
59. This dog was as loyal as they come, I had a harness made for him and saddle bags.
60. Often you would  see this dog at my side pulling a sled of 3 kids, and groceries in the saddle bags.
61. He was my fishing partner and up North on the lake he slept back to back with me at night.
62. We often took out skidoos and the dog would keep up to me no matter where I was.
63. In 1993 on April 1, I met a wonderful person who was sent to fix my computer.
64. He joined our family of 4 and never did fix my computer all those visits we spent talking.
65. In 1997 we took a trip. Not headed West like granddad, but I had to go East to Prince Edward Island.
66. We/ I fell in love with the Island and claimed it to be my home when we retired (2009)
67. I sort of moved ahead of our retirement plan and came here for good in 2000.
68. Bought an old very old house in Greenvale and opened it to tourists to off set the heating cost.
69. I returned home to Ottawa the first Winter to spend with my family as they hadn’t relocated yet.
70. Then in the Spring the kids sent me packing, said the only time I’m ever happy is when I”m in PEI.
71. They joined me that Summer when school was out and never went back to live in Ottawa.
72. My husband’s job kept him in Ottawa working another 3 years until we were able to be together.
73. I had turned the house into a Bed and Breakfast and cooked breakfast in the morning then I would…
74. Jet off the local bakery and make the bread for Hunter River, in the evenings I went…
75. Up the hill to the Retirement Home and was a Resident Care Worker looking after everyone’s aunt and grandma in the Village.
76. I was joined with my new husband on July 2003.  Guy relocated to work out until the remainder of his retirement.
77. I felt life threw me a curve ball. I had to lear to live and work with the man I married all over again.
78. We were able to sell our home in Ottawa and take a first ever holiday and the first place we went was to….
79. North Carolina to visit our grand babies and Jennifer our first daughter who moved in 2000.
80. Holidays, we  can only take in the Winter as tourism is the only part of the Summer here.
81. In 2003 I opened my scrapbooking shop and started teaching classes.
82. I won a Scrapbooking Challenge across Canada in 2004, the $ went into purchasing a new sign.
83. I was featured in a number of news papers across the Island as well as the Northern Star.
84. My page of PEI along with other Prov winner was given to the Canadian Minister of Heritage.
85. I had my winning page lasered onto the front of our Scrapbooking sign.
86. I had carpal tunnel so bad the surgery was an emergency, they did both hands at once.
87. My husband handled everything (no pun) while I recovered I will never forget what he has done.
88. Shep (big old dog )  knew I couldn’t throw his ball but he would drop it at my toe for me to kick.
89. I made a return trip when my family started to age and I collected tea cups and saucers from all.
90. I put their names on the bottom of their cups as reminders then took the 78 sets and opened…
91. In May 2007 as  Grandma’s Afternoon Tea Room in the parlour of the old Greenvale home.
92. I had never been to a tea room but imagined it from the little tea parties grandma and I had.
93. On July 29, 2008 my offer was accepted on a home that kept my heart for 10 years.
94. In this home today is Grandma’s Tea Room & Gifts and the Trailside Bed and Breakfast.
95. We live here as well myself and my French Gardener he is one of a kind a real keeper for all.
96. I think I live in Canada’s Wonderland all the time, I am a story teller and tell others Anne is real.
97. Oh, and I’m 48 years old I am a grandmother to 6 girl babies, ya! tea parties and tissues….
98. I love to scrapbook, bead, and beach comb, taking Thursday’s off with the French Gardener.
99. My world stops! when the nurse dials my number and hands my dad the phone to talk to me.
100. I often hear guests tell me I’m living their dream…
101. And so it comes to be, I recharge from friendly blog comment.

Wow, I’ve come to the end of the 100th.  I knew for the past 25 posts I wanted to do this but I am also the greatest procrastinator of all time getting things done on a deadline is how I work best.
Tell me your not still with me on this, no way you’ve read all 100 posts? You must be my committed best blogging friend ever.  I want to thank all of you who read and comment on my blogs.
I just want you to know that life is tough, it is easy to focus on the negative vibes that surrounds us. I try and stay positive and every once and awhile I slide back.  Comments from this blog, and from the guest books I put into the B&B rooms are what rejuvenate me, keep me coming back, moving forward and onward.  If ever you have the opportunity to come to Prince Edward Island stop by, I’d love to sit across my wee little tea table and have a good cuppa with y’all.
xo,
cindy