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A Gully, some hills and a good bowl of soup, get cozy and grab a pillow and enjoy stories from the Carr’s in the week 10 blog.

The Gully
Of all the things I am good at, I am sure there is an equally long list of things I am not good at. That is just the way things are. There is also a list just as long of things I can do, but don’t like to do and near the top of that list is cutting the grass. Always looking to please, however, I jumped on my brother-in-law’s ridding lawn mower a couple of weeks ago to give it a shot and see if the bouncy seat makes it more fun. Normally he or my nephew will cut the acre sized lawn after putting in more then a full day of work themselves, so me pitching in when the hardest thing I have done over the last month or so is clean the pool before a dip is just the right thing to do.

I messed it up though. I was proud of the job I did, but after asking Guy what he thought, he pointed out the problem with using the riding mower in the gully. When you go from the bottom to the top of the incline, the cutter rubs against the crest of the hill, effectively cutting the grass off at the roots. Yes, now that I see what I am looking at, I understand my mistake and I feel horrible. Since then, every time I let it slip that I will try the grass again tomorrow, the strangest thing happens. Later that day, Guy for some reason cuts the lawn himself. Well until today anyway. I cut it and was very careful about the hill effect and think I was able to do a good job, but we will see when he gets home and let you know.

The Drive
When I am not rushing to get someplace, I sure do enjoy the long drive to and from the house we are staying at in Caledon. Today while driving home, my thoughts drifted and wondered up and down the rolling hills of the headwater, land part of the Oak Ridges Moraine that stretches from Caledon in the west to Rice Lake in the east formed more then 12,000 years ago by advancing and retreating glaciers. 12,000 years ago! Wow I was just thinking it’s crazy that when we moved up here, the farm fields on my route where barren and all shades of brown but just 7 weeks later they are so full of life and colour with some corn stocks more then a foot tall.

The countdown for the new house is at 20 days, so after a couple more weeks, we will move back to Mississauga, and no longer have a daydreaming drive in the hills and farmland, unless of course we come to visit and I think we will have to visit lots because it is a nice drive.

The Soup
The whole family has been a little sick off and on for the last week it would seem and one day this week, Nathalie even had to stay home to try and re-coupe. Ohh the conversations you have when you have kids and I laughed when Nathalie told me about one that she had with Julia this week. The conversation was about soup and its merits and after having a great bowl of Nathalie’s custom Lipton chicken noodle soup, the girls’ absolute favourite lunch meal, Julia said, “Mommy and Daddy you make the best noodle soup in the world”. Wow such a compliment from our little world traveler. Remember when all that was important in life was your best friend and a good bowl of soup?

In closing
The tooth fairy could be dipping into the house down payment this week, if we are not careful. To fully understand the problem we have, you need to go back 4 or 5 years to the morning after Jordyn’s first lost tooth fell out (or was it pulled?). You see the tooth fairy had a time and small change issue, after a forgotten exchange in the morning and as a result, left a crisp $20 for the beautiful little girl tooth. It was beautiful tooth, but certainly not nice enough to justify more than 400% market value. You can see that we started down a road that is a little hard to change now. There is an expectation, and the girls never forget. Like a family fable, passed from generation to generation as accurate as the first day it was told, they all know about the large gift under their pillow after a visit and have told all their friends.

Jump to today and on loose tooth watch in the Carr household we are currently monitoring 3 loose Julia teeth. Yep, if things work out in the little girls favour and my math is correct that’s $60. Wish us luck!

Have a great week,
Jim

Road Trip, Party, Party and Party!

Open
My weekly look into the lives of the Carr’s is normally uploaded Friday afternoon, but with a busy week, ending with a very busy weekend and the fact I was on the road with no computer, I just was unable to make it happen. It’s not that I didn’t try to make it happen on Friday. I have this new fancy iPhone and I tried to upload this to the blog, but I ran into some technical difficulties. So here it is Monday night and I finally have a minute to think creatively. So here is the week ending wrap-up in the form of my confessions blog for week 9.

Road Trip
I love road trips with my girls. Friday we loaded the van, pointed it east and arrived at Aunt Edna’s house for the night and a family trip to Port Hope. My Mom is staying with her little sister and when she does we like to get out there and post bail. It is always a little crazy when Gay and Roger stop in too and today it was no different with the conversations shifting from Michael Jackson to air travel. Now I know what you are saying that does not sound that crazy but imagine the conversation is taking place in a loud waiting room and all the people talking are doing so at the same time. Crazy right? So much fun. The trip does have another purpose because we are all dropping in on a retirement party disguised as a Summer BBQ in Peterborough on Saturday afternoon and hitting a 40th birthday pool party at night.

Sex Ed
Back when I was a student at Seneca, one of my favourite teachers was an English and liberal studies professor who taught me photography and human sexuality. I often given him credit for teaching me everything I know about sex! The truth is that Michael Smith taught me so much more. He was one of the first teachers I ran into that showed so much passion in the classroom for the not only the subject matter but also for the students themselves and given my profession, I call on this example quite often.

Thousands of students before and after me have have felt the same about Michael, and so this retirement is another loss for Seneca and for that I am a little sad. I am so very happy that over the years since starting to teach myself we have become good friends and over that time I have called upon our relationship for advice and support countless times. In fact it was the confidance Michael had in me when I had little in myself that was one things that lead me to accept the acting chair job last January.

I am sure glad I had the chance to sit in his class, get to know him as a friend and still will have the ability to call him when I need his help, advice or honest opinion.

Canada Day
I love my country. I am so happy to be living in this country and I love celebrating it’s birthday every year on July 1st. This year because we are living in Caledon, we dropped in at the annual Strawberry Festival. It was a short drop in, and we only caught a far off glimpse of a strawberry, on a passing plate covered in whip cream, but we had fun anyway. The dip in the pool, after the walk in the heat was an even better way to celebrate.

Home Visit
Our super real-estate agent Debbie Gay (http://www.deborahgay.com/) was so fun to deal with and so incredibly on the ball that we would recommend her to anyone in that needs an agent. One of the conditions of the sale that she suggested for use to add was a couple of home visits before the closing to do measurements and whatever else we need to do, and so Friday our girls got to do a walk through with Nathalie’s Mom. They picked their rooms and have even started plotting the furniture arrangements. It was great to get in there again, and look around and take note of important things like window locations. Nathalie kept saying the window in the kitchen was in the middle and I said it was more to the right side. I am happy to admit publicly that I was wrong and Nathalie was right! You could not get the window in the kitchen more in the middle of the room.

Party! Party! Party!
Saturday night, we had a great time celebrating a friend’s jump into his 40’s with a fun filled pool party. It was just a little chilly out, so it was only a quick dip, but the hot tub was fun and playing poker was a blast.

The third party in two days was also a pool party of sorts because we had some friends over for a BBQ and some afternoon splashing in the sun. Thanks to all who played a part in our busy but very fun weekend.

In Closing
A little short for ideas for the blog this week, I ask my content providers in an open call in the car if anyone has any ideas for the blog this week and my call was answered. This is as close as an accurate account of the story Julia suggested as a great story for the blog at 110km per hour.

“Once upon a time there was a whole family on a trip to go to a party. Well two parties but the kids are only going to one of them. They don’t get to go to the pool party. The end and they all lived happily ever after.”

Julia, we will give you a recap of the birthday party when we get home and we might even take pictures and post next week!

Have a great week!
Jim

The end of one thing, means the beginning of another, the week that was week 8 for the Carr’s

Day Late and a Dollar Short
It’s late. For the first time in 23 weeks, my blog was not posted on a Friday but on a Sunday instead! This week was so busy and with the memorial yesterday for my Aunt Mae, I thought it would be ok to delay the posting so that I may include my thoughts in my recap of the week that was week 8.

Father’s day
The first day of this week was father’s day and I celebrated in the most wonderful way. I was greeted by a couple of girls that have been so excited about the arrival of Father’s day, that they have been hinting what they where getting and doing for me since Easter. Well ok just for the last week or so, but it seems like it has been a while. In fact, if I was smart I would have been keeping track, and I am sure I would be able to have figure it all out before Sunday.

“I love you so at soooo mach, I love you you love me it is a family” to quote one of the 6, homemade cards that the girls poured their love into making for me. The pride in their eyes when taking their time presenting them to me was moving enough but it was the little blue card from Jordyn, written in French that made me feel incredibly lucky to have such great kids. The front said “La fete des peres, #1 Papa” and tucked inside was the five-dollar bill that she was given the day before for just being cute. Jordyn was so happy to share her win fall with me and I think that is a good sign of good things to come.

Home Inspection
On Monday, after a morning trip to the bank to sign all the mortgage paperwork (yes, we found a house!), we had our 3-hour home inspection. I got a very good look at the house and thanks to Sam (www.lighthouseinspections.com ), a sharply focused look at the new place and we are even more pumped than before. Yes, there are some things that will need to be done over the next little bit, but nothing that will jeopardize the deal, so that is a load of our minds. In fact, we where even approved for some home improvement money from our bank, so we also visited Ikea and we designed our NEW kitchen.   Closing date is July 30th – moving day is set for the 15th of August if there are any takers for helping us move… you can send us an email at me@jimcarr.ca or thewife@jimcarr.ca.

Graduation day
As important as September is at marking the start of a new year, this time of the year is equally important, because it marks the end of the school year. The energy and excitement in the sounds of the kids laughing and playing, thinking about the summer fills the air and for most children thoughts about what lies ahead in their academic lives is a distant thought. This year I was able to be part of three ceremonies, each significant in their own way.

On Tuesday I DJ’d my daughters’ school’s grade 8 dance and was able to see many of the kids that I have seen grow over the last 6 years of doing kiss and ride. Especially moving was the grad the girls call Gee, because I have a picture of her and Jordyn on Jordyn’s first day of school as they waited for the bus and they both look so little.

That evening, we had to split up so we could attend graduation ceremonies for two of our nephews. Nathalie made it to Rylan’s graduation from grade 8 with Jordyn and with Julia in tow I made it to Branden’s graduation from high school. Nothing like watching a man whose diapers you changed as a baby, make the transition to post-secondary education to punctuate the passing of time. Congratulations to Rylan for his athlete of the year award!

Finally, on Thursday I was in the platform party on stage for the Spring 2009 School of Communication Arts grads and as I congratulated and listened to speeches I was moved how the messages in all speeches this week held the same theme, the new beginnings message of a life left to live and a future full of promise.

Good bye
On Saturday, with the sun setting in the west and a beautiful breeze coming in over the water, we gather to follow through on a last request. Unplanned, but in the background from a distant CD player, the words my Aunt Mae sang so long ago echo through the trees and around the cottages.

“I’m a going down, down, down to the river, and there ain’t nobody gonna have to hold my hand. I’m a going down, down, down to the river, Gonna bury my troubles in the river bottom sand.”

At the end of the dock, a waiting boat to carry us (me, Dad, Debbie, Lori, Mom and Captain Willy) out just a little bit but far enough to battle the wind. “She always was a free spirit, and now you can be free Shirley.” said Lori and we all smiled as we each took a moment to remember Mae in our own way.  Then I had the honour of standing up and letting her go. Ashes committed to the earth, wind and water – a fitting end to a life that gave so much, to so many.

Earlier in the day a great crowd turned up at the Moose Lodge in Lindsay to pay tribute and celebrate Aunt Mae’s life trough music and stories and even tears. My Aunt Mae loved a good party and I would think she would have been so happy with the great afternoon. Although my twin sister and her family could not be there in person, she sent this message and asked that I read it and I did but I wanted to share it with you.

Hi Jim,
I would really appreciate you reading this for me today. It is a hymn that our choir sang last Sunday in church. I have changed some of the wording/phrasing for Aunt Mae.

I would like you to say that we were really blessed to have her in our life and are heart broken that she is no longer with us. Sad that we will no longer be able to hear her beautiful voice. We Love and Miss her very much…..!

Janey & Earl and Chandler & Colby
xoxoxoxo

Shirley Mae’s Teaching Angels

Her cottage is so empty,
So lonesome since she’s gone’
Cause Shirley Mae’s teaching Angels, how to sing her song,
But we’ll meet her in the morning,

On Heaven’s golden hills,
Cause Shirley Mae’s teaching Angels, Angels how to sing.
Shirley Mae’s teaching Angels in that land so fare,
Heaven’s bells won’t ring aloud, while Shirley Mae’s singing there,
But we’ll meet her on that golden shore and she will greet us there,
Cause Shirley Mae’s teaching Angels, Angels how to sing.

There’s a beautiful voice missing
In our little Community Lodge Jamboree’s,
She sang Making Believe and I Fall to Pieces – just a few of her songs.
But when God heard Shirley Mae Singing,

He knew Heaven was not complete,
Now Shirley Mae’s teaching Angels, Angels how to sing.

Jimmy laid his guitar down
And heavens bells won’t ring
Heaven’s halls are silent when Shirley Mae starts to sing
And it’s sad to know that she won’t return

But we will see her again one great day,
Cause Shirley Mae is teaching Angels, Angels how to sing.

In closing
As the cameras flash and take the pictures at the graduation ceremonies I attended this week, I could not stop thinking that so much of what happened this week marked the beginning and the end of something. Jordyn and Julia at the end of grade 1 and 4 but the beginning of grade 2 and 5, Rylan and Gee at the end of grade 8 but the start of high school, Branden finishing high school but starting of college in the fall and for some at the Seneca commencement, marking the end of their academic aspirations and the beginning of their working lives. The celebration and memorial for Aunt Mae marked the end of her life but the beginning of her next life singing and laughing with those who have gone before her.

So it all comes down to a beginning and an end and I guess that’s the truth about this crazy thing we call life. Life is truly the journey, and I am enjoying my ride.

Have a great week,
Jim