ON THE RIVER is my summer journal, another journey, a trip
I have been making for sixty-nine years. I welcome you to come along, if you would like to, not on a regular basis, but when I have something to share.

Like many others we opened the cottage late this year as Mother Nature hung on to the last bits of cold and ice before letting it go in a flare of warmth. We crossed Lake Nipissing with patience watching for floating logs or debris shaken loose by winter winds. It was calm and peaceful. It was the Victoria Day weekend, we were excited to be together with family.

The Winter was long and sad. This Journal is my dedication to the most wonderful girl I truly loved. I know I am not the only one who feels lost without her, she is and always will be our family, our true friend. We are constantly reminded that life is very short every day of our lives. We are all vulnerable, BUT we have to remember what lessons we were taught by those who leave us too soon.

Let me tell you about Laurie....

Interesting that this wonderful HUGE family of twelve lived beside us on Bloem Street, all of our family attached ourselves to our kindred Chirico spirits. Laurie and I talked ....all the time...according to our Mom's. I was older by more than a few years, but that did not matter. We were all backyard buddies, our lives intersecting over the years and then to my happiness our families joined when my cousin Peter married Laurie. Laurie said " he is the most gentle person, kind and loving that I have ever known, I am not worthy of him.... I am a strong personality and I will probably smother him." Married to a similar "Italian" personality to Laurie, I understood what she was saying. We laughed. She is so, so worthy. Old school, we were taught to take care of everything at home as best we could for our families, Laurie exceeded me. I stayed at home while she fulfilled a very successful career while raising her family. We are both blessed with grandchildren. "Life is good", Laurie repeated those words to me, over and over, even when she was saying goodbye.

Laurie loved my Travel Journals and asked me to promise to share other stories as well. She knew I 'wrote things down' so I did promise her I would give it a go, so here I am. I could not think of a more fitting place to start than "On the River", a place she truly loves as well.

It has taken me awhile Laurie, my apologies. Sometimes words fail, but thoughts always spin around inside my head. I know this for sure, you are with us all every single day, you are watching over us all, and with every loon call and curl of a wave, your spirit fills my heart. This is for you Laurie, and for those who have walked our paths before us, I thank you.

Summer is flying by, now August, I still feel the heat of long ago summers, yes we can not complain about the sunshine this summer 2018.

Having a cottage is not for everyone. I understand that, but I hope to tell you why it is important to me. This may take awhile.....let’s head to the River!