Betty Boop
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Miss You Mom
Mom left us six years ago. Tomorrow would have been her 96th birthday and we are reminded that there are so many things we remember and celebrate about her. But most of all, she was quite simply a sweet, warm, friendly person, and her Starbucks story is one that personifies those qualities. So, in her honor, we offer a reprint of one of our original posts, "BettyBucks."
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Punching Above my Weight
The other day I had to go into work, and instead of taking the elevator I took the stairs. It was not long before I realized I was huffin’ and puffin’, and believe you me, there was no way I could blow someone’s house down. Clearly I was out of shape, and it slowly dawned on me that I had to do something about it. I was particularly concerned because the Sisterhood is committed to a 5K walk in Montreal in a few weeks. At this rate, both Big and Middle would surely put me to shame, and the humiliation would be excruciating. After a few days of thinking about…
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The Silverware Mystery 2.0
It has been almost six years since Mom (Betty) passed and we still miss her every day. But every once in a while, little things sneak up, deeply reminding us of her absence and catching us off guard. An arrow to the heart if you will. And that is exactly what happened recently when Big Sis came across a piece of jewellery that brought back vivid memories. It prompted her to reread a blog post from 2020, reliving a special tribute to Mom. The 2020 Silverware Mystery When an elderly person passes away, there are usually memories and memorabilia left behind. Mom was no exception. There were boxes and boxes…
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Changing of the Guard
I was saddened by the passing of Queen Elizabeth and in reading about what this would mean to the Royal Family, the phrase “changing of the guard” caught my eye. This got me to thinking about the changes that we all face as we age and how we navigate the changing of the guard in our family. Home Away From Home As Mom and Dad aged, Big and Little Sis gradually took on a bigger role in their lives. Driving them to appointments and hosting family dinners was now a regular occurrence. And now mom was a guest in our houses as opposed to us being a guest in hers.…
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Things My Mother Taught Me
It’s generally acknowledged that motherhood is a challenge. Not only are you tasked with the every day, keeping the house running smoothly tasks, you are expected to go above and beyond to teach your children essential life skills. If you are blessed with a large family, as Mom was, the challenge can be overwhelming and when a certain young daughter asks to learn how to knit, (technically a non essential life skill) it must be just about the last thing you want to do. But, after a bit of nagging on my part, and probably some serious soul searching on her part, Mom bravely gathered needles and wool and we…
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You Have to Walk Before You Can Run
Once upon a time, long long ago in a land far away (actually in a lounge in a Saskatoon hotel), three smart, sassy sisters made a bold, life-altering decision. It is a story of epic proportion.
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Happy Birthday Mom
Yesterday would have been Mom’s 94th birthday. We miss her and cherish all the memories we have of the kind, caring, fun loving person that she was. Especially in Mom’s later years, birthdays were important milestones and meant a lot to her. So today it seemed like a good time to look back at birthdays we shared with her over the years. Perfume and Roses When we were young, birthday parties were held on Sunday rather than on the actual birthday day. With five kids all going in different directions, this ensured the whole family was around the table for the traditional Sunday roast beef dinner and the ensuing festivities.…
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What Would Betty Do?
Our mom Betty’s superpower was her ability to connect with others. She genuinely liked people and they liked her. So, it was a “no brainer”, when we chose communication as our May Word of the Month Challenge, to channel Mom and practice our friendly/cheerful communication skills. That said, when we chose communication as our word for May I don’t think we really thought through the implications that COVID would have on our ability to do this. However, despite all the restrictions that COVID has brought, we Sisters are of hardy stock and so we soldiered on with our Challenge. As you will soon see, both Big and Little Sis dealt…
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Mom and Me and the PNE
It was recently announced that the PNE (Pacific National Exhibition), would be cancelled for another year. This came as no surprise. It was another “Covid fatality.” Just the mention of the PNE, however, triggered some wonderful memories of visits to it with Mom, myself and my husband. It was an annual event that we all really looked forward to. As a preface to the following I want to note that my husband has often informed me that he wants ” I never paid retail” engraved on his tombstone (and so far he never has.) The significance of this will become a clearer as you read on. The day, or should…
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Won’t You Let Me Take You On A Sea Cruise 2.0…
In keeping with the Starbucks theme we are re posting another lovely memory of "Travels With Our Mother." We had so much fun and Mom loved it. It was good to get away and spend quality time together..... good times! After Dad passed away and his estate was settled, we decided that Mom needed a holiday, and a cruise fit the bill. Mag had to work so Kerri and Shauna took Betty on a trip along the East Coast, starting in New York and ending in Montreal. Hopefully, our timing would coincide with the brilliant fall foliage, some nice weather, and an opportunity to celebrate Mom's birthday in mid October.…
