Following Your Dreams

By Sandi


At the young age of 66, I have experienced an interesting journey that took many twists and turns.

As a child, my dream as some young adolescent females, was to be happily married…have four children…first a son, then a daughter...the order of the last two children did not matter. I wanted a son, Todd, first so that my daughter, Tanya Leanne, had and older brother to protect her if needed. My third child either, Wade or Leah would also have their older brother to guide them.

My dream home was a bungalow consisting of a large kitchen, a bedroom for my husband and me and bedrooms for each child. The yard would be large so that my children could enjoy the outdoors as much as possible. We would live on a safe street with other young families and in time become friends. The purpose for the large kitchen other then the obvious, cooking and eating, was for my family and I to sit around the kitchen table and chat, play games such as crib, board games etc. and to get to know each other by communicating.

Dreams take many turns.

At the age of 21, I joined the Air Force. My journey from Nanaimo commenced January 3 1969 by taking the boat from Departure Bay to Horseshoe Bay. My journey continued from Vancouver by an enjoyable train ride to Halifax N.S. The last trek of the journey was via bus to CFB Cornwallis. At CFB Cornwallis, I commenced my military career as a very proud recruit (Private Starling) with basic training during the very cold and miserable winter months of January, February, and March of 1969. I lived in a barrack block that was identified as South Block with many other women who were military career oriented. Some women wore the army uniform, some the navy uniform and others including myself wore the air force uniform. We did not have the pleasure of wearing the actual uniform until the last week of basic training…instead; we wore dresses, which signified the three military elements. My choice to join the military was one of the best I have made and I would do it again. People thought I was a “bit out to lunch” as one of the routines I enjoyed during my journey was drill…marching…looking sharp, ready for inspection on the parade square. I felt very proud of myself…in fact was complimented once by the inspecting officer.

My military journey took me to CFB Borden for my trades training which was finance. The last trek of my military journey ended at CFB Rockcliffe…a very beautiful base in Ottawa. Along with my career at CFB Ottawa, I volunteered to be on the Base Defence Force. I learned out to use a gas mask…take an FNC1 rifle apart and put it back to together…how to use a baton during a riot.

As a volunteer with the Base Defence Force, I experienced two outstanding highlights:

·       A Commonwealth Convention was held in Ottawa and I had the privilege to be on duty at the Airport terminal when the dignitaries arrived. One of my duties was to check for identification. If I had any doubt that a person should not be going to the tarmac, I would ask for ID this also applied if I had suspicions of anyone who was entering into the building where I was on duty.  It was a great privilege and honour to be in the same building with numerous leaders from around the world….I even had the opportunity to give the odd direction when asked. The second duty was to be on guard outside of the VIP lounge and allow only classified personnel to enter.

·       The second highlight while on the Base Defence Force was being on duty at the Officers Mess at CFB Rockcliffe during the presentation of a medal to an honoured gentleman by the Queen. My location of duty was by the clothe room where I hung up various coats of VIPS. In attendance at this prestigious event were Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip, Princess Ann, Governor General Lège, Prime Minister Trudeau and other dignitaries. After the presentation of the medal was over and the VIPs were preparing to leave, I had the honour to hand Prime Minister Trudeau his “Top Hat” white gloves and scarf…it feels like it only happened yesterday.

I still remember what Queen Elizabeth wore. She had on a beautiful middle green velvet coat, and a gorgeous hat to match. Pinned to the lapel her coat was beautiful pin. I was within five feet from Her Majesty.

I requested and received an honourable discharge from the military, the end of March 1974. I lived and worked in Ottawa as a civilian until June 1976 and eventually moved to Calgary.

You might ask me why I choose to move to Calgary as compared to Nanaimo, the city I am from...my answer is “a voice inside me told me to do so”…I listened to my intuition.

Living in Calgary has had its experiences (ups and downs). I compare my life experiences to climbing up Mount Everest…one climbs so high…stops because of some plateaus or crevices and then commences climbing a bit more. Another analogy is “the little train that could”. I experienced 28 wonderful and educational years with various departments within the Federal Government: (Revenue Canada as a administrative support with Special Investigations; Agriculture Canada as a Staffing Classification Assistant; Human Resources Development Canada as a Senior Contract Support Assistant) I won’t go into the last 10 ½ years of my career with the Provincial Government. (There were more downs than ups)

Volunteering in various capacities helped to make my life seem more successful.

·       During my career with the Provincial Government I was involved with Calgary Corporate Challenge…great experience…this was the best learning experience for me as a Provincial Government Employee as it took me out of my comfort zone and taught me how to become a leader.

·       I joined the Royal Canadian Legion in 1976 and eventually became involved as an executive…for some reason, this gal, me…seemed to have a problem just being a member…she always had to jump in with both feet and be on the board.

·       As if I didn’t have enough on my plate, I joined an Air Cadet squadron and became a civilian officer for a couple of years. This part of the journey took me to Maelstrom Air Force base for an enjoyable weekend tour with other officers and cadets where I challenged myself to rapell Aussie Style down the outside of a small building.

·       My self-esteem and confidence needed a good boost; therefore, I became a Toastmaster. I was a Toastmaster for 15 years and again concentrated on being involved with the planning and organization as compared to concentrating on doing speeches and presentations. Over the 15 years I was involved in two separate clubs. The second club, Twin Rivers, was where I think I burned out. The club was identified as “the old boys club”…, would you believe, I had the honour of being the first female president of the club…how awesome is that? With the support of the outgoing President, as well a good executive, I worked hard to ensure the success of the club. In 2008/2009 I planned and organized the clubs 60^th anniversary celebration with the assistance of other club members. I think I burned myself out because I did not delegate well. The event was very successful.

The newest twist/turn on my journey is being part of the Bubbies and Zaidas Blogging Group through the Jewish Community Centre…it has not been what I expected it, in fact, it is better in many ways. I have met wonderful people. I have been mentoring a woman pertaining to the use of a lap top and writing a blog. I have had the pleasure to meet some students at the Jewish Academy. My first day at the Jewish Academy was a fun. I connected with a lovely student named Lauren…to sum the day up; she helped to make it perfect. The facilitator, Mariette, is astounding.

As I am typing up some of my life’s experiences, I am thinking….hmmm I guess Mom’s do not experience these “types” of twists and turns that have challenged me. It was not meant for me to be a Mom. Well, now that I am settled down to a degree, maybe someday, somehow, I will have the pleasure and experience of having children in my life…maybe in some way I could be a mentor.

Life is what a person makes it…Life is great…All the bumps in my journey have helped me to become a stronger person and also have helped me to learn who I am as compared to who “others” what me to be.

Dreams take many turns...sometimes what is not planned,  fulfills one's life in unexpected adventures.

Olympic Legacy

The Bubbies & Zaidas Blogging group found ourselves with a rare opportunity to enjoy each other's company and reflect last Monday.   It was the day after the closing Olympic Ceremonies in Sochi and so we spent some time chatting about the Olympics in Calgary in 1988 and other musings.   Here are our thoughts for your enjoyment.

 

We talked a lot about Western Spirit and trying to define what that was. The 1988 Calgary Olympics were the first games that didn't end up in a deficit, and that is attributed, in large part, to the many volunteers.   At that time Calgary had a real small town attitude, we would depend on each other to get things done. This attitude extended to our neighbors as well.   Okotoks opened their town to the Russian teams to practice.  Folks were fighting for space in Calgary to practice.   So the Russians went south, and Okotoks had a unique cultural exchange.

There was a sense that the Olympics were getting too big and too expensive and we wanted to show that you could do it on the cheap.   The buildings were meant to be used repeatedly, and they have proven to be. 

Here are some 1988 Olympics Observations from Manny.   "I was part of the Emergency Transport Office.   If athletes needed a ride somewhere or there was a problem, we were called.   I remember that in the evenings  Eddie the Eagle had nothing to do so he would come into the office.  He was aware that folks thought he was a joke and he used to day: "I am the best that England has to offer!".  He was a real character.

We used to pick up the athletes who had just competed  and bring them down to Electric Avenue.  For those too young to know what that was it was a strip of nightclubs on 11 ave SW.  It was the hotspot for nighttime activity.

Another experience I had was picking up the Swiss bobsled team.  They had arranged to have their bobsled painted once they arrived in Calgary, so I was to take them to a  Swiss fellow who had a paint shop in Bowness.  All of a sudden, one of the Swiss team starts taking off his clothes, his jacket, his shirt... 

I asked what are you doing?   

He had a slab of Swiss bacon strapped to his body to give to his fellow country man in thanks for painting the bobsled!"

Finally he shares:  I was at the opening and closing ceremonies for Calgary and we were all cheering so hard the stands were shaking! 

Bob tells us "My Olympic experience was slightly different.   The Olympic organizing committee advertised for locals to take in billets during the Olympics.   We had a couple from the US who expected us to wait on them had and foot!  I would say I was a volunteer driver, talked into it from our Billets from Philadelphia.    Because we were so generous our Olympic experience was my wife cooking and me driving around as a taxi driver.  In reality I didn't mind driving around as I got to see alot of the Olympics."

Bruce shared “I did a lot of weight lifting during the Olympics - 8 oz at a time”  He remembers it fondly but as a time of a lot of work and a lot of high security.   "During the Olympics I was responsible for the janitors at Telus.   Telus sent all of the janitors home because they were afraid that folks would sabotage the Olympics.   I hired a contractor to weld the man holes shut because they were afraid of sabotage.  After the Olympics we had to open them up!"

Sandi was a volunteer down at the Olympic plaza. Her job description was never very clear but she remembers it fondly.   She also shared that she was one of the pin collectors and she  still has an Olympic pin collection.

Irina was the only blogger on our team who has been to Sochi.   She tells us of a visit 30 years ago, when she was still a teacher:  "It is not a big city.  It is by the Black Sea.  The subtropics.   A resort town.    It was very expensive to go but on the rare occasion the government gave you a deal to go.   It is an all inclusive resort (like in Mexico).  I received papers from the government who gave me a deal.   It is rare for someone like a teacher to get one.  This was during the days of Communism.  From the Ukraine it was a 3 - 4 hour trip.   It was so much different than what I remember."

The final word will now go back to Bob who spent some time exploring the display at the Jewish Centre:

I was very impressed to see the display of Calgary ’88 Olympic Memorabilia at The Jewish Centre on Feb 24’14, and I did appreciate having the pleasure of holding the runners Olympic Flame for a photo op, but I was equally overwhelmed at the amount of wonderful work listed in a hand out pamphlet entitled “Sewing Seeds of Hope on 4Continents”. It indicated their work began in Sierra Leone, Africa in 2002. They provided sewing machines, materials, and a beginner’s sewing training program to 30 war widows, & to date they have trained 150 women. Some students have opened their own shops. 70% are sewing clothing for themselves & for their families. There are now sewing programs in Ukraine & Peru, and they are  presently constructing 2 additional centres in Ukraine. In each country they have developed children’s programs specifically to suite the needs of the area where they are working. These include teaching English, Vacation Bible School, outreach programs to prisons and orphanages, celebrating a Canadian Christmas, and in Novovlynsk in building an orphanage facility. 2 new centres are starting this year in Boma, the Congo, & Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Hats off to Sylvia Rempel, founder of Sun Ice Ltd. Clothing Co, 59 Discovery Ridge Point S.W. Calgary AB T3H 4R1. And what a wonderful legacy, - supporting women, men and children in underprivileged countries.

Now it's YOUR TURN.  Share your Olympic Memories in the comment section of our blog!!

A Joyful Experience

Monday, February 3, 2014, the celebration of my departed Mother's 97th birthday brought me a the gift of meeting Lauren, a student from the Calgary Jewish Academy.

 Our unique "older" students’ blogging group met a second unique group...students from the Jewish Academy in a small meeting room in their school. Our inspiring and motivational leader, Mariette, initiated introductions by commencing a game. Mariette introduced herself and then stated "I bet you never" and followed that with something unique she had done in her life.  If no one could say I've have done this, the person next to Mariette followed the routine. Eventually we knew each other’s name and a minimal amount of information about each other.

Initially, I was nervous and concerned about meeting up with the students because I felt I  had nothing to share...I didn't experience the hard times that most of our group had experienced...in fact I was thinking about backing out and not attending. However, once the introductions and the game commenced I was at ease.

When it came to me to introduce myself I stated my name and said, "I bet you 
haven't rappelled down the outside of a small building "Aussiestyle". I was asked what this meant and followed with an explanation. 

After the introductions and lunch, the "younger" students were advised to chose one of  us "older" students to partner up for our commencement of "fun" in the computer lab. Lauren chose me. We walked down the hall from the room we met in, entered into the computer lab, and sat waiting eagerly for our instructions from Mariette.

We were instructed to go to the Bubbies and Zaidas blogging site to view the various blogs...now the laughter begins. I didn't know what the link was for the blog and therefore located it in a long about way. Mariette came to where Lauren and I were sitting and told us the link was and Lauren typed it in... Lauren then stated something like "you're slow" I started to laugh.

When we finally got to the blog page....I advised Lauren to scroll down to see the various blogs and then suggested she read Bruce's...she found it very interesting, especially reading about how huge the computers and servers use to be "in the day". There is a lot more to this story, however, I will only point out a couple of highlights.

One of the highlights was when Lauren said to me I bet you type by using only two fingers and showed me what she meant...I started laughing again. I told her that when I was employed that my job involved using a computer every day. I jokingly put my hands on my hips and said "I bet you don't know what an ergonomic key board is"  Lauren said no and asked what it was...I explained in detail what it was and its purpose.

A thought that came to my mind when Lauren inferred I used only two fingers to type was to challenge her to see who is the fastest and most accurate, what a blast this would have been.

Lauren is a "hoot", a lot of fun and funny.  My thoughts are that we have the same type of humour.  I had forgotten how much I enjoy being around children, well really, young adults.

The time zipped by and we were back in the original room saying our goodbyes until the following week.

As I left for the day two other students pointed to me and said, "You are the one who rappelled Aussie style".  I said yes and told them quickly and briefly about my experience as a civilian officer with an Air Cadet squadron. I stated that the cadets did the rappel, however none of the male Officers did, therefore, I had to prove to the cadets, the male Officers and myself that I could be the "little engine that could" and the rest is history.  

It was great to be a part of my history, not just the assumptions people make about me now.   It made my day so much better. 

What Christmas Does Mean?

By Sandi

Christmas does not mean, buy, buy, buy…spend a lot of money.

Christmas should not mean loneliness, being on the streets and being without food. There are

Statistics show Christmas is the time of year where many people commit suicide. There is pressure of the following:

thousands of people in the world who are in this situation. Would it not be a joyful experience if we felt safe enough to invite a lonely person or a homeless person into our home during the Christmas season to share some food with and make them aware they are special in his or her own way? This in itself is a gift.

(1) “spend time with your family”

(2) “spend time with your friends”
(3) “cook a turkey dinner with the fixings”

(4) “put up a tree with all the trimmings”

(5) “buy gifts for those people in your life that you love etc. 

There are many people in the world that are not fortunate to be able to do any of the above as they don’t have family, don’t have friends, can’t afford to buy a turkey etc. Through all the hype, loneliness becomes more prominent during the Christmas season. Some people find the pain so unbearable that they just want to avoid the hurt.

The problem with the pressure to buy, buy, buy is that there are people who do not have self-discipline and cannot afford to spend a lot of money on gifts, however, because it is Christmas will go into extreme debt. People believe they will pay this debt off later; however, this does not appear to happen. Unfortunately, some of these people are shopaholics. The sponsors of the numerous advertisements pressuring people to buy are feeding this addiction.

Years ago there were numerous advertisements to purchase cigarettes…this has now ceased. Scientists and doctors have proven that smoking is harmful to a person’s health. Over spending is also hazardous to a person’s health. Extreme debt and finding a solution causes stress that causes numerous health problems. Valuable relationships have almost been destroyed for the wrong reasons…materialism. I suspect we will see the need for the same kind of interventions for consumerism as we did for smoking cessation in the future.  Thousands of children know Christmas as only being the time of year they are going to receive numerous gifts and grow up with with this mind set.

Another scenario occurs during Christmas. Numerous charities are asking for money. There are people who want to give to the charities that mean the most to them, however, unfortunately they cannot, as they themselves do not have the money to give and put themselves on a guilt trip because they care so much.

Last, but not least, winter holiday traditions are different for all cultures and beliefs. The Christian world celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ during the Christmas season. Therefore, speaking as a Christian, I wish you a Merry Christmas, welcoming you into my tradition of celebration, not consumerism.  I welcome you into my celebration, as other faith traditions welcome me.

What is Home?

Home is a complex concept and that changes as we gain life experience. 

This topic was inspired by searching out places and homes we had lived in via Google Maps Street View.  You can imagine how powerful it was to see a home we  had not lived in for perhaps 40 years and re-experience a place they thought they would never see again. 

Nomad

by

Amalia

When I was 17 I never thought I would live so long.  87 years old.

My childhood, with my parents before the war was a life without worries.  A naive state, perhaps.  I was with my parents and I felt safe & secure.  I have always thought of this feeling as the feeling of what home is:  safe and secure.

When there was war, then home changed.  In a camp, separated from my parents.  It was not home anymore, it was horrors.

We would dream in the camps, of what it would be like when we got out.  What would we want. Most of us just wanted to eat.  A simple life, safe and secure.   What I know now is that I would never feel like I had a home the same way again.

We fled from the camp, as the front approached.   The commanders and guards fled before us leaving they left their rifles behind so we took the opportunity to flee.  We were afraid we would be taken back to the camp so we hid out, reunited with my parents.  They feared for my safety being 17 years old so they sent me with other Jewish children, to an Orphanage in Romania

After a few months we were reunited and we had to look for another home

I don’t think any of us ever felt safe and secure after all that we had seen.

My parents were very sick, not very old, but sick because of life in the camps.  Home was not the same.  There were more worries I had to care for them, though they wanted  desperately to care for me.

Then again a change, when I was married we moved to Israel and then to Canada.

I think if there had been no war we would have stayed put, had a home, but the war made us like nomads, always searching, never finding, that sense of home.

Reflections on Home

by

Sandi

photo credit:  Sandi

Home to me is sharing my life with my 12 year old Pomeranian, Pinut who I have learned many lessons from, such as unconditional love; patience; kindness; caring; and much more. Pinut is champagne in colour. She looks like she has a mask on her tiny, sweet and endearing face. We are good buddies and seem to understand each other’s body language.

Home to me is a cozy condo townhouse which most of the time I enjoy. I enjoy my home because I feel safe and secure. My home is like a sanctuary as it is very calming and peaceful.

I have a small back yard, which was carpeted with yellow leaves from two large Poplar trees situated in my next-door neighbours’ yard…one on each side. Every year, I mindfully rake up the fallen leaves. As I raked up the leaves, I wondered if I would ever complete the job. This year, the job took about five hours from start to finish. I had to take a couple of brief breaks because of some pain…this happens as a person ages. I sat beside Pinut who immediately comforted me…that is the feeling of home. Finally, the job was completed. Hard work always gives me a feeling of accomplishment.

The next day the yard was carpeted with white due to the decision of Mother Nature to cover the ground with snow.

Home is many things to me. Home is a place where I can live with nature, with my wonderful partner in crime, Pinut and at times can be lonely. However, being alone allows me to learn how to be happy with whom I am. The hardest part of growing up at any age is learning to be okay alone and being happy with whom you are.

Home to me is a place of security and healing. I am very blessed.

________________________________________________

Where I lived

by

Aron Eichler

When you say I home, I think of my family.  There were 5 children in our family.  One born in Russia, the others in Poland. Only 2 left.

Over the years we have traveled to many countries during the prewar years.    We were not overly wealthy but my parents had to move in order to support us, it was very difficult to support a family with 5 children. 

Sometimes we had to be farmed out, to live with other family members in their home.  It was normal for a family to be broken up until we became of age: 12 for a girl 13 for a boy, when he has a bar mitzvah.

When the war broke out, my brother and I were on one side of the river that belonged the Russian authorities, my parents on the other side with the German authorities.

We stayed with my Uncle he had animals, it was nice.  It was not home but it was where I lived. 

I lost touch with my parents, when the Russian Government  gave them opportunity to go to Russia.   I stayed with my brother, he was 8, I was 10, living on my Uncle’s farm.

One day they arrested him for being a spy, he didn’t even know what the word spy meant, but they found an excuse to take us away.

We were put in an Arbeit Camp, a concentration camp.  It was not home but it was where I lived.

I shinned maybe 2000 boots of the Germans.  There were a few that would sometimes leave me candy or chocolate.   For a ten year old boy this was important.  They would eat their chocolate and drop the wrapper with a bit for me.   Not all of them, of course, but a few.

One day my uncle put on your two pair of pants, short and long pair.   I said why, he said  don’t ask why I will not give you an answer.

There was an escape planned.

He woke us up. 

It was time to find a new home.

Electric wire around the camp and the first few people died on the wire but their weight allowed us to pass over the wire to freedom.

Hundreds of people escaped.

My Uncle moved us through the wire ahead of him.

Then he was shot.

“Luft,  kinder, Luft” 

We ran into the woods, we ate berries, grass, sometimes we found a tree that found apples in orchards.  It was not home but it was where I lived.

We lived there for a long time.   

One day we heard “HALT!”

We froze.   

When I looked up I saw that the uniforms they were wearing were not of the German soldiers but of the resistance, the underground movement.

They gave me a new home.

__________________________________

What is Home?

by

Bob Peterson

Home:  What does home mean to this surfing senior?

“Home” on the ipad takes me back to different icons or applications.

Google Street View let me see my childhood "home" in Kingston Ontario.

Now, I looked up Google Earth Satellite view of my home but the street address was obscured by a cloud.  

(Am I living in “the cloud”?)

Then I Googled my  name a found an interview I had given regarding WW2

Is the internet my new home?

Home

by

Margot

“Home” does not mean the same thing for everyone.  For some people it is just bricks and mortar, for others it is a show place where they can display their wealth or their good taste.  For me it is and was always where I was with my parents and as I grew up with my husband and daughters.

My father always said that anything in life that is replaceable is not important.

I have lived in seven different countries one of which was Israel, where I met my beloved husband, who was from South Africa. 

When our daughter was 15 months old my husband decided we should move to South Africa, which meant, for me, leaving my entire family.  Parent’s, brother, grandmother & seven uncles and aunts and cousins.

After some years we were able  to go back to Israel very often and each time as I got onto the tarmac at Ludd, I had this over powering feeling:   THIS IS HOME.

Happy to be Home

by

Frances Kalb

As you know, September 11, 2001 affected everyone including me.  This is my story.

After visiting my daughter, Arlene and her family in Atlanta, Georgia, I was returning home to Calgary on that fateful day without any knowledge of what was in store.   We left Atlanta about 8 am Eastern time.   Shortly after take off the Captain’s voice came over the loudspeaker that we were making an unscheduled landing in Memphis Tennessee.    He also mentioned that there was not mechanical problem and not to worry.   We landed without knowing the sad and tragic day that was ahead.  Only when we landed were were informed of the tragedy at the Trade Centre in NY and other places, and were told to pick up our luggage and make arrangements to get back to Atlanta.   All flights were cancelled.

I was fortunate enough to meet up with a lovely young woman and her children on their way to Hawaii.   She was able to get hotel accommodations for herself and for me as she was an airline attendant.  Many people were simply stranded.   She had phoned her husband and he would be there to join them that evening and return to Atlanta the next morning by car.   They included me in the return trip and so I was back at my daughter’s home the next day to remain for another week.  

Arlene and my granddaughter welcomed me home with open arms, lots of hugs and kisses, so happy that I was safe.  

May We Introduce Ourselves?

The Bubbies & Zaida’s Blogging group is a project that endeavors to take being an Elder into the  digital age.  The goal of the blogging project is to introduce you to some elders in the community and invite you to see the world from their perspective.  Perhaps you may see things differently after reading several stories about life on a different side of the mountain.    Before we dive in and share our stories, we would like to introduce some of our bloggers.

Sandi:  I was born August 1947 in the small town of Chemainus, B.C. located on Vancouver Island.  When I was the age of three my sibling and my parents moved north to Nanaimo, where I completed my education and at the age of 21 joined the Air Force.

January 03, 1969 I became a member of the Air Force, which was one the best decisions I have made. Basic training was took place at CFB Cornwallis from January until March. My trades training, a Finance Clerk took place at CFB Borden from March until June. After my training, I was posted to CFB Ottawa. I took my release the end of March 1976.

June 1978 I moved to the city of Calgary. Outside of my employment history, I experienced the joys of Ballroom and Latin Dance lessons; two stand-up comedy courses and one improv course; being a civilian officer with an Air Cadet Squadron and 15 years as a Toastmaster.

One of my proudest accomplishments is rappelling down a three story building Aussie style (face first), when I was involved with the Air Cadet Squadron about 17 years ago.

Bob

Robert Petersen:   The 4th of 9 children, Bob was born and raised in Kingston Ontario.  Bob married a Dublin gal, Maureen, in London, England in 1949.   They have 5 children.  Bob’s wife (nicknamed Penny) passed away in July of 2012.

In 1941, Bob became a member of the Air Cadets. In 1942 an Airforce Flying Instructor gave Bob a flight in a Harvard Training Aircraft and this gave him a thirst for a flying career.

Enlisting in the RCAF at age 17, Bob trained and graduated as an Air Gunner, and went on to serve as the rear gunner in a Lancaster Bomber in England attached to the Royal Air Force #100 Squadron

After WWII Bob served in both the Royal Air Force and Canadian Air Force and since retirement Bob continues his connections with friends in Aviation. 

Amalia

Amalia: I like challenges. I have lived over 87 years on this planet. I have seen many things and had many challenges.  Not many of them easy.   I always want to be active physically and mentally as I believe it is important to continue to do this for your whole life.   This is what the challenge of life is.

I sing, I act, I write...

and now I am learning computers!

Margot with classmates Amalia and Tutor Del.

 Margot:   I was born in Cologne, Germany in 1931 and I recently turned 82.   Hopefully my story, may in a small way, be of interest to future generations.

I have lived in many places including Israel, South Africa & Canada.  was extremely proud when the large company that I was working for in South Africa sent me to Malawi (we had a branch there) to each them the accounting systems used at Head Office, which was in Johannesburg.   I was there for a week and accomplished everything that was necessary.

I am a very ordinary person who adores her family, is very fond of animals and loves all kinds of music.

I also enjoy reading and movies and watching TV.

more bloggers!