Maine was Great!!!

Believe it or not, 14 people (8 adults and 6 kids; mostly teens) in one house wasn't that bad! The house was 3-stories high with 6 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. It was busy at dinner time; we all enjoyed our veggies and dips and a bowl of chips or two... Greg outdid himself again and amazed us all with his pork tenderloin and special sauce. Everyone chipped in and did what they could! We had one rainy day and went shopping - we shopped til we dropped, basically! Thank God it only rained for one day!!! Annie and the boys enjoyed the beach. They all threw the baseball, played pétoncle (boce), rode the waves. Mathieu and Benoit went crab fishing. That was exciting - the crabs were biting... Mathieu's fingers. We walked the Marginal Way, had dinner at Barnacle Billy's, visited the Candy Store and spent too much in Kittery! Now! That's a vacation! No?!

Above and below are some pics of our trip....

That's it for now...

Take good care!

Renée

P.S. The article that appeared in Canadian Living magazine 18 months ago has been re-publish in the Reader's Digest magazine's September edition which is out on newstands now.

More photos...

Weekend at the Rouge River

A good time was had by all. The weather held up; at least until Sunday... Which meant the boys did not get to go tubing, water-skiing or fishing at my cousin's. They did, however, play almost 8 hours of NASCAR monopoly! There is life without computers and the X-Box - who knew?!

I took a few a photos. I hope you'll enjoy them!!

More photos to come shortly...

Take good care!

Renée

Luke has arrived!

Friday's at Wild Willy's
(Home-made Ice Cream Parlor on Lakeshore Drive)


Sunday Afternoon BBQ with Friends and Family

Stéphanie looking good!

Maya looking pretty

Marie-Claude and Sharon enjoy the afternoon

Luke cooling off

Master BBQer Richard

Sharon, Linda, Huguette and Marie-Claude enjoying the day

Richard, Luke, Mat, Maya, Valerie and Antoine enjoying a BBQ dinner by the pool

Two years later...

Two years ago on this date, I wrote on this blog "Having a nightmare and can't wake up!". I have been fortunate in this difficult journey to be surrounded by very supportive friends and family, and to have an employer and co-workers who are kind and compassionate. Without them, I would most likely be in pieces. The nightmares come and go... And you just never know when they will be back. I guess this is a particularly difficult time as the anniversary of Tony's death is just two days away. That, coupled with the fact that everywhere you turn there's ad and talk about father's day... Tony passed away on father's day. I can't help but wonder how the boys feel about that. I'm almost afraid to ask! Yes, its true... I'm afraid to ask! I should be ashamed. ONE DAY AT A TIME. I must always remember and never forget. Anything more can, at times, be overwhelming.

On a positive note, Mathieu will be graduating from primary school. The graduation ceremony is this coming Thursday, June 18th. FYI, primary school ends after grade 6 in Québec. High school actually starts in grade 7, or what we call Secondary 1. I am quite proud on Mathieu... He has worked very diligently in the last few months to bring up his grades; working with tutors 4 to 5 times a week. This year was not easy for him... but he - like his father - is a tough guy and won't let FAP slow him down. FÉLICITATIONS Mathieu!!!! Je t'aime.

Tony would be very proud of both his sons. They have come through these first two very difficult years during which we have lived through many turbulent times - mourning, moving, surgery, teenage hormones, etc. - and have grown and mature into fine young men. A fine tribute to their Dad! He would be so proud!

Well, that's it for now.

Take good care!

Renée

Just back from 5 days in Toronto; 3 of which were spent in workshops with people associated with the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada (CCAC). I am hoping to become a Cancer Coach... Although, I must admit that after spending some time with all of these amazing people, I'm not quite sure if I'm up to the task. Most of the people I met are cancer survivors or their caregivers, as well as the wonderful staff from the CCAC. I know Tony would want me to do this, however, if I'm going to do this, I want to do it right and make him proud. I might need a few weeks to digest all of this information and determine what is the best course of action for me to take that will have most impact and be of most use. For now, I will share with you some facts that I hope you will keep in mind and share with friends and loved ones... At the very least, you will be better informed and, at best, you could save a life!

• colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in Canada;


• an estimated 21,500 Canadians were diagnosed with colorectal cancer last year;


• approximately 8,900 Canadians died from colorectal cancer in 2008;


• if caught early, colorectal cancer has an over 90% cure rate;


• risk factors include age (50 and over), family history of colorectal cancer, personal history of benign polyps or colorectal cancer, obesity, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, and inflammatory bowel disease (i.e. Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis).

SYMPTOMS OF COLORECTAL CANCER

The following symptoms MAY indicate colorectal cancer. See your doctor.

• prolonged diarrhea or constipation


• narrower-than-normal stools


• blood in stool


• loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss


• feeling that the bowel does not completely empty


• constant fatigue, anemia


• nausea, vomiting


• abdominal pain or discomfort.

One of the problems in dealing with this disease is that people are not comfortable talking about their bowel movements with their doctors. Please don't let that stop you!! Remember, your Doctor has seen and heard it all and is there to help you. If you are 50 years old or over and have not yet had a colonoscopy, in Tony's memory, please call your doctor now, and book an appointment. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure - and then some....

Take good care!

Renée

Spring break comes to an end...

This time last year!!!

The boys were off last week. I took a few days off but we didn't do too much. Mathieu came shopping with me and decided he wanted to bake a cake. And so he did. It was delicious, but way too much cake for just us. Rich was invited to Andrew's cottage and actually did some downhill skiing for the first time. Apparently he looked like a pro. He just loved it! Mathieu played shinny hockey at the arena and also played on the outside rink. He quite enjoyed it and there were many kids there which made it even more fun.

I am still training in my new position at work. I can't wait to know everything I need to know and feel more comfortable in what I'm doing. A new job is quite draining. I'd forgotten. I have a bit of a cold so I should be off to bed. But, with having moved the clocks ahead today, I'm a bit confused... Not to mention that I slept in 'til 2:20 pm (which was in fact only 1:20).

Better be off now. I have an early doctor's appointment and then off to the dentist with Rich before I go into to work... No rest for the wicked!!!

That's it for now.

Take good care!

Renée

P.S. We've book a house in Maine for one week this summer. It'll be great...