I feel like blogging about our family and fun is so wrong at a time like this.  There are so many people in Haiti that would be happy with some clothes and food and here I am trying to think about what to write.  Trying to keep on going like nothing is going on in the world.  That is what I usually do, I keep on going.  I can do my small part by donating money and supporting charities.  But, it doesn’t help the helplessness that I feel.

Far away from our land of ice and snow there are children without parents.  Babies without their Moms and Moms without their babies. If I could bring them into my home, make them some soup and clothe them put them to bed and tell them all will be OK tomorrow, I would.  But, I can’t and it won’t all be OK tomorrow.  It will be a long time before these peoples lives are even remotely normal again.

So here we go on with our daily adventures and I hope in these adventures, I can use some of these fun times to remind J and Apple that we are truly Blessed. We have a warm house, food, clothing and quite frankly, more toys than most children should ever have.  And even more important is that we are safe here in our warm homes.

So as you look at these photos of us at the Canal on Saturday taking the kids for a skate and a Beavertail, know that we truly feel Blessed in all that we have and know that we are trying in our little way to play a part in helping those in Haiti get through this tragedy.

 It’s funny how the smallest thing can take you on a ride down Memory Lane.

Here is my Memory for today.

Today, I warmed up some Mac n’ Cheese for Apple.  Hubby had put some hot dogs cut up in it for the kids last night, a little extra protein and a little more fun.  The smell of the hot dogs just took me right on back.  Back to an era when the only time we had hot dogs was at the beach cooked over hot coals.  At least that is how I remember it.

The picture up top is actually on our cross Canada trip one summer and we are at Lake Superior , back when we only had ourselves and the scenery to keep us company on long drives. Mom was taking one of a few shots that we would have from this trip.  Back then film and developing was expensive.  They bought a roll and took a photo a day or a stop.  One roll served the whole trip, I believe, maybe two.  That table cloth was plastic, but it made it to every trip to the beach and I don’t mean the Beach by the Ocean, I mean Lac Philipe up in the Gatineaus only an hours ride from our house.  We dont’ go up there too often because with pollution the beaches get closed after too much rain, and we have had our fair share the last few years. Back in the ’70s and ’80s we went up almost every other weekend all summer long.  We would stop at the chip wagon for a fresh chip and soda on the way home, Québec may have a few difficulties, but they make the best chip wagon chips anywhere.

This next picture is at the beach at a Church Camp we used to go to every summer, my Dad was the pastor and I remember how much fun we had.  I remember this photo being taken.  I remember that yellow shirt and my Mom’s t-shirt, which later became mine and is in a memory box in the basement. I remember that we used to drive in the car down the dirt road to Lac Philipe.  Dad would drive, Mom would be in the front seat and us girls in the back, and on the car… yes ON the car, would be all the youth.  Guys would be sitting on the hood, the roof, the trunk and Dad would crawl along the dirt road transporting the youth to and from the beach.  You could never do that now, but back then, it was the ’70s nobody cared.  The youth would be dangling their bare feet in front of Dad’s face to see if he could see and we would all be laughing and giggling and it was just a hoot.

And when we would get back to camp the guys would break out guitars and sit around a circle and sing Church songs.  They were all hippies back then so they would be drying out their long hair in the sun.  And Mom, she would be cooking up some hot dogs over the hot coals singing along with the rest of us.