The first year

When I was 12, Mum and Dad packed up the family station wagon and headed west to visit our McDowell cousins in North Vancouver. Unlike many events of my childhood, I have many memories associated with this trip (maybe not many as others would define many), including the day trip to the beach (the name of which escapes me) with Fraser and Stevie & Uncle Terry, who came equipped with a very fancy camera. All day long he snapped photos of us as we played, blissfully unaware of the lens. A few months later we received a slide show (those were the days of a simpler technology, sigh!) and an accompanying script, putting all of our antics in context. I wish the slideshow were embedded right here in this post, but although I have scanned all the slides and attempted to make a movie of it, I encountered some tech problems and have not found the time to resolve them. Yet. I have vowed to Fraser & Stevie that it will get done. The last photo of the series is this one of Dad. The angular profile, the stance, the camera slung around his neck... iconic. February 5th marked the one year anniversary of what would be Dad's last trip to the hospital. I think now how we went along thinking that this was just another hic in his illness. Not so. I will spend February reliving the markers that line the road to February 26th when he took his last breath. It will be cathartic.

We Burns children were lucky to have such a Dad & Mum.

For this I am grateful, every single day, I am grateful.

H a p p y

N e w

Y e a r

This photo was taken by either my friend Nicole Coulson or her husband, Lorne Coulson (who is also my friend). I'll have to ask their permission to post it here.

It has been quite some time since my last post (seems I begin each one with the same line...), and today, while David-Louis, Liam and Norm are at the Bodies exhibit, I am taking the time to update. I know, I know, I let the most obvious moment for a post pass me by, Christmas and New Year's day, but life's circumstances were such that it just wasn't convenient.

I'm debating whether or not I should publicly announce my New Year's resolutions. There are not many, and one in particular stands out in that it is annually featured on my list; I need to muster all of my self-confidence, put myself out there and set myself up for a bitter morsel of Humble Pie in the event that I do not succeed. I'll continue to ponder the idea while I write.

The weeks leading to Christmas were tough... As I did my shopping, I would come across a sweater, a CD or a gadget that would have been the perfect gift for Dad. On December 19th the Campbell side of the family gathered at Sonya and Scott's for dessert and carols. As we belted out the seasonal favourites, Dad's absence was greatly felt when his beautiful tenor voice was not among those of the Three Kings. Lord of the Dance was the hardest to get through... it's sort of the family anthem, and, as at Campbell and David's services, we sang it at Dad's too. On Christmas morn, Lindsay and Mom came to our home to open gifts. Typically Dad would have wrapped his carefully selected, very pratical gifts in the Saturday funnies and signed the tags with names of long-gone family pets (Cleo, Xerxes, Flopsy...) and former neighbours... A family joke. We miss Dad terribly.

The big news item is that Lindsay has returned to Bangkok, Thailand where she has accepted a term contract teaching eleven year 5 students in a British school. She will return on July 3rd.

Here she is posing for a good bye photo with Aunt Sonya and Uncle Scott following her "last supper" before leaving.

Prior to her departure, Lindsay was teaching English as an additional language and substitute teaching, mostly for her brother-in-law, or her sister. She is looking forward to having her own classroom, her own students and, the tropical weather will be a welcome change. Leaving the 'Peg in January means leaving three more months of sub-zero weather, snow and square tires, not really a sacrifice some would say.

Mum is doing well, but is still unaccustomed to being a widow. She too has chosen to leave the frigid climate and is going first to Perth, Australia with a friend, then to Thailand to visit Linds, from where they will both travel to Vietnam. Mum has been a loyal customer of a Vietnamese tailor, Tam, who, since immigrating to Canada, has raised thousands of dollars to do some rebuilding in his home town. The Burns ladies will meet Tam there and tour the country that has been the subject or backdrop to countless movies and tv dramas. Upon the completion of their South Pacific sojourn, Mum will return to Perth and will eventually head north to the 'Peg and reunite with us. FINALLY!

Her they are looking WAY TOO EAGER!

I doubt that either of them was smiling too broadly at FIVE AM today, the time at which they had to leave to get to the airport.

And so, life here will carry on... Liam and David-Louis will play basketball and refuse to pick up their clothes they have so carefully abandoned on the floor. We will continue to go to bed before they are done with the current day. I will continue to prepare what I hope to be inspiring lessons knowing I am up against stiff competition for my students' attention, and Norm will continue to encourage reluctant students to stay engaged at least for the duration of a particular assignment. We are fortunate to have wonderful perfect-in-their-imperfections boys. But then, we do spend a lot of time with them, imparting our "wisdom" and our values every single day of their life.

On a more troublesome not, I cannot give you and update on Sandy as he is AWOL. We have discovered, by accident, that he is in Winnipeg, but know nothing beyond that. I'm hoping this absence is part of his own grieving.

As a parting remark, after much deliberating, I will share with you that my New Year's resolution, is the infamous goal shared by millions; losing weight and getting into shape. I've parked the exercice bike in the living room, joined the CBC "Live Right Now" web site, and am emptying the pantry and refrigerator of the foods that serve only to sabotage my efforts.

http://www.cbc.ca/liverightnow/

If I am successful, the next family photo like this one,

I will not be as round and will be fitter. My first aqua fit class is Wednesday, followed by a yoga class on Monday. There comes a time when my health has to take priority over planning lessons. I have chosen classes that take place at venues close to home, and so the too-far-to-go excuse just won't fly.

I also resolve to read, write and draw more - oh, and play more games with my teenage children. Losing weight or playing parlour games with teens; which is more of a challenge?

So long for now. I will be back, so please stay patiently tuned to this blog.

Be well.

Shannon

So long Aunt Enid.

On Saturday, November 6th, Friends and family gathered in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba to say farewell to Aunt Enid. I was there with the three Manitoba aunts, Dawn, Sonya and Dilly and Uncle Scott. It was a beautiful service, officiatied masterfully by her own son, our cousin, Scott Campbell, and at which all four of her sons spoke lovingly of their mother. Aunt Enid was pre-deceased by her only sibling, Betty, and several of Betty's children travelled north from Grand Forks, North Dakota (or the environs of GF) to attend the service. Cindy, Aunt Enid's niece and god-daughter, spoke fondly of her Aunt reffering specifically to an album of correspondeance that Aunt Enid has left behind - letters exchanged between the two sisters.

Following the service and the interment, I felt I knew Aunt Enid much better than when she was alive. Perhaps that is too often the case. From all accounts, she loved to cook, and to eat - that is what each of the speakers highlighted in their comments. Nancy (Scott's wife) told how her m-i-l shared some of her recipes so that Scott would not be too homesick in their first years of marriage. She too professed much love and admiration for Aunt Enid. The surprise of the day, however, was that in the end, she was diagnosed with ALS. The devastating effects of that illness are well-documented. She and Uncle Craig certainly had late-in-life curveballs thrown at them (Uncle Craig was diagnosed with amyloidosis at the end of his life, the same dreadful illness Campbell Wrighte had).

The beautiful white rose pictured below was taken (with not only permission, but encouragment) from the bouquet that adorned Aunt Enid's coffin. The rose captures the simple beauty that defined our aunt.

Marjorie Enid (Née McLachlan) Campbell

"Aunt Enid"

(flanked on the left by her grandson , holding her great-grand-son, and on the right by Clive and Scott Campbell)

CAMPBELL, Marjorie Enid (Née McLachlan) -
In Ottawa, peacefully passed to her Heavenly
Home, Monday, October 25, 2010, age 85 years.
Daughter of Gordon & Olga (Lynds) McLachlan,
MacGregor, MB. 1948 married W.H. Craig Campbell
of Portage/Winnipeg. During 30 years with Caterpillar
Tractor Co. in Canada, USA, Colombia & Switzerland,
they raised four sons: Dean (Maria) El Paso, Texas;
Clive (Terry) Ottawa, ON; Scott (Nancy) Laval, QC;
Lee (Debra) Riverview, Florida. Cherished “Nana” of
Carlo & Christina; Ross, Ben & Phil; Stephanie & David;
Jacob, Emma, Albert & Abigail. Great grandmother of
Angelica, Jack & Nochi. Predeceased in 2007 by Craig,
Peoria, Illinois & by her sister/best friend, Elizabeth
(McLachlan) Folson, Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Especially remembered for her strong Christian life
& service in her family, in her church & beyond; also
for her welcoming smile, her generous spirit, her
perseverance & faithfulness.

at OMEGA FUNERAL HOME, 83 Royal Rd. South,
Portage la Prairie from 11 AM until the service at 1 PM.
Internment at Hillside Cemetery, Portage. Instead of
flowers, donations may be made to the Salvation Army,
180 Henry Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3B 0J8
or 220 Duke Avenue, Portage la Prairie, MB R1N 0S6 On a personal note, when I look back on the too infrequent occasions I spent time with Aunt Enid, I remember her vibrant voice, the twinkle in her eye, and her genuine interest in what was going on in my life and in Winnipeg life in general. She was truly a lovely soul. She and Dad will now be able to reunite the “Campbell Outlaw” team.

God speed on this your last journey, Aunt Enid

Meet David-Louis Burns Châtel

Mother: Shannon Burns

Father: Normand Châtel

Born: October 8, 1996

In full adolescence.

Interests include: spending time with friends, spending time with friends on X-Box live, spending time with friends at school, spending time with friends at basketball (either on the court or on the bench), spending time with friends on Facebook, spending time with friends at the mall, spending time with friends in our basement eating us out of house and home, spending time text messaging the friends that are not currently with him, spending time with his big brother but not admitting that he loves every minute of it, spending time with his big brother's friends, and spending time with his parents if all of his friends are otherwise occupied.

Pet peeve: not being allowed to spend ANY time with his friends, not enough food in the house, having to earn his keep, and lastly, a pet peeve he doesn't know about yet, when his mother writes about him on a blog post.

Photo courtesy of his Aunt Lindsay who was playing with her new iPhone and he happened to be in the way.

Back to school!

Hello cousins and other followers,

School resumed this week in our household - "back to school" means so much more now than it did when I was the student heading back, and even as a young, childless beginning teacher I did not appreciate the behind the scenes shake-up that it brings about; the sorting through last year's supplies, the trip to the store for the missing items, replacing the jeans that are now two inches too short (I know, they do have to grow), the centuries-old lunch imbroglio - what to pack, who will make, enough not enough, forgotten, etc...; the soon-to-be Olympic event that is "running-for-the-bus-while-eating- breakfast" and the inevitable "what do we do now that we've missed it?". I was oblivious to ALL of this (and perhaps, dare I admit, even a bit insensitive)until I had children of my own. Throw in a return to full-time teaching, and I consider myself truly enlightened. After only two days with my new group of students, I am optimistic that the year will be a rewarding one for all of us. Stay tuned, we'll see how long the honeymoon lasts.

Aunt Dawn, Aunt Sharon, Mom (Dilly)and Lindsay, are cruising along the Rhine, landing in various ports, and testing beer in every single one of them. Perhaps the locals will write a sea shanty about them.

I don't get many details, but Lindsay does send the occasional photo. Here's one of the most recent (it might help explain any loopy behaviour that rears its goofy head in either you or your offspring - genetics).

Dawn and Dilly "eating" giant pretzels in a tavern.

I wish they would lighten up and have some fun!

That's it for today's post.

Your photos are ALWAYS WELCOME!!!

Cousin,

Shannon

William George Burns

August 25, 1932 - February 26, 2010

"Seventy-eight years young" That is what Dad would have said when receiving birthday wishes today. I miss you every single day Dad, especially when life throws us curve balls. That's when the warmth and strength of your hugs would quell whatever was causing the preoccupation. We all miss you. Happy birthday Dad, there were far too few in my mind.