We've been going through my Mom's house and all her belongings for months now. It's been so difficult being in her home without her there. And it's been so painful going through her things and deciding what to keep, what to donate and what to throw away. Oh how she hated to throw things away! She never parted with anything! We've certainly found a lot of treasures within the clutter. I know my Mom is very happy that her things are being taken home that are special and sentimental to each one of us. The biggest task and the one we've saved for last are the pictures...literally thousands of pictures... because my grandfather was a professional photographer. He documented everyone and everything. We have pictures dating back to the early 1900's! It's incredible to be able to see my great-great-grandparents and great-aunts and great-uncles! And pictures of my grandfather when he was really young and even pictures of my grandparents on their honeymoon! So amazing.
The pictures that are the most precious to my three siblings and I are the ones of the cottage that my grandfather built back in the 1960's on Laker Archer in Wrentham. We spent every summer of our childhood here...
He later added the shed...
He hung a sign very proudly that said "Frenchman's Cove" because he was a Frenchman himself from Nova Scotia...
I remember how they had sand delivered so we would have a little private beach all to ourselves...
The cottage had two floors with an open floorplan. There were no bedrooms which is so funny to think about now. I don't remember where they slept? I think there were daybeds on the bottom floor and out on the porch. I would have to find more pictures to really remember what the inside looked like. But it's funny that I actually remember how it felt to be inside and where the toys were kept. Like the Skediddle Kiddles and Flatsy paper dolls that my Nana kept inside a heavy drawer in an old bureau on the first floor that was very hard for my little self to open. I loved paper dolls! I actually found pictures of the exact ones on Etsy! These are them!!
My grandfather also built this Catamaran...
We had so much fun riding around the lake on it. He'd take us across the lake and steer the boat directly into some overgrown bushes and trees, which he called the Wishing Tree, and he would tell us to pull as many leaves off the tree as fast as we could and then pull away. The front end of the boat would be filled with fresh green leaves. It was so fun! And then he'd drive a little further down and pull the boat real close to a steep dark path in the middle of the woods that he called the Indian Path. I thought it was so scary back then! We'd all hop off the boat and run up the hill and back down as fast as we could screaming and yelling the whole way because it was scary...and we usually didn't bring shoes with us so it kind of hurt. He was the most adventurous fun grandfather ever!
It's amazing that I only had my Nana in my life for just 8 short years but it truly felt like so much longer. That's probably because she loved me so much. I can still feel her love today. It's just so amazing how these two people had such a tremendous impact on our lives.
Thank you for being the best grandparents ever. Thank you for giving us so many fun adventures, so many awesome memories and so much love and happiness that will be with us forever.
