Thursday, March 20, 2008

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM/AUNT CB!!

















On March 21st, Lucille Kate Taylor Kinsella turns the young age of 81!!!

Her grand-children--and one great grandchild--came up with these tidbits about Grandma:

From Kristin (Tim’s daughter), age 27: One of my favorite things about Grandma is how caring she is. I know she is thinking about me - from the letters, newspaper clippings, little notes and holiday cards that she sends us. Grandma sends emails, packages with little gifts, cookies and other things that let me know how much she cares. They are small gestures, but make me feel so loved!

I love you, Grandma - Happy Birthday!

From Paul (Tim’s son) age 25: I have a lot of great memories of Grandma, so it’s hard to pick just a couple. I love all of the times at the cottage that we get take out food in town (KFC mostly) and take it to the park to eat it there. I remember sleeping on cots in the screen porch at the old cottage when I was there on my week alone and it was way too hot to sleep inside. I also love the fact that when it rains at the cottage, we're never bored because Grandma is always there to put together a puzzle with you or play a game of Monopoly.



Grandma is also one of the smartest people I know. She has all sorts of amazing creative ideas, some that only she thinks will work, but once everyone else sees them in practice, they admit she was right. One example of this that comes to mind is the old trailer that is now at the old cottage. Everyone else thought the thing was too old or would fall apart on the way to the old cottage. Everybody thought we needed to throw it away and that it would look ugly in the yard. Some electrical wiring, a bit of cleaning, and a new paint job later - and it became a perfect extra room next to the buggary. Only Grandma knew the entire time that it would work, it wasn't until it was all finished that everyone else finally wised up!



Another great story about Grandma was from when I was younger, it’s a lot funnier now than it was then. When I was much younger (definitely less than 10) we were in 2846 and I was playing with Matt. We eventually found our way into the bathroom and started mixing a bunch of stuff up to make a "potion." This essentially meant taking all of Grandma's makeup and mixing it together in the sink - I think we even cut off part of her lip stick as part of this science experiment. Then Grandma walked in right in the middle of this. Grandma immediately turned to me and started yelling: "Paul Christopher, what are you doing! I know this was all your idea because your brother is not old enough to know what he is doing!" Matt pretty much got off scott free; I probably had to sit alone in a room with nothing to do for a while. Of course Grandma was right - it had been all my idea, you can't sneak anything past her!

I love you Grandma, Happy Birthday!

From Matt (Tim’s son) age 22:
1) My favorite thing to do with Grandma when I was young was always making, and then eating, peanut butter fudge.

2) Doing puzzles at the cottage with Grandma

3) Doing little chores and jobs at the cottage (moving rocks/sand, picking up sticks/ branches, etc.) but them not seeming like work because Grandma was doing just as much as you were

4) Watering all the grandchildren's trees and plants around the cottages which took a long time since there were so many

5) Taking "baths" in the lake and being shown the proper way by Grandma

6) Grandma's wimpy burgers

From Brian ( Pat’s son), age 20: I'd have to say my favorite time with Grandma was the first time she took me grocery shopping at college. I remember trying to not go all out and buy everything that looks delicious to a starving college student and Grandma busy dropping every good bargain into the shopping cart. Maybe some bargain stocking-stuffers came out of that trip?

From Alison ( Pat’s daughter), age 18: Grandma and I used to work on all sorts of projects at the cottage. I remember taking old half-eaten curtains from the buggery and turning them into clothes, making pillowcases, quilting mini blankets for little cousins...and Grandma never questioned Brian and I when the cookie mix we were baking mysteriously didn't make as many cookies as it was supposed to.

From Nick ( Pat’s son), age 16: I remember doing latch hook after latch hook, and Grandma would take them and magically make pillows out of them; now, latch hook pillows are everywhere!

From Alex ( Sue’s son) age 15: I remember that when I was little, Grandma showed me Tubtown, so whenever I went to 2846, I HAD to take a bath and play with it. She would show me the things that all of the people did and accompany me in playing with it. Every once in a while, when I thought that I had figured out everything on it, Grandma would show me some part of it that I hadn't discovered yet and I'd be fascinated with it for endless hours. What would I have done if Grandma hadn't introduced me to the wonder that is Tubtown?!

From Maggie (Chris’ daughter), age 10: I like catching frogs and fish at the cottage.

From Bridget (Chris’ daughter), age 7: I love the crawl space at Grandma’s new house. I also like the doll house at the old cottage.

From Maddie ( Jim’s daughter), age 7: I like how Grandma Kinsella teaches me how to do things like sew and bake cookies. I also like reading with her. Last weekend we made clay figures with Grandma and she let us take them home! (I made a horse and Grandma and Kelly made a dog and a cake)

From Patrick (Chris’son), age 4: I like playing with the train on your basement table.

From Kelly ( Jim’s daughter), age 3: I like the cookies and candy Grandma has. I also like all the doggie things she gets me, like my doggie book. Last night we watched the Rat movie (Rattatoie) with Grandma and Grandpa and ate popcorn!

From Joe (Chris’ son), age 2: I was trying my best to climb into Grandma’s crawl space to look at those cool rusty pipes and dusty glass jars, but those big cousins playing Risk next to me kept pulling me away; I heard them say ‘Just in the nick of time’, or ‘Paul, YOUR turn to get Joe’.

From Cameron ( Kristin’s son), age 4 months:Great Grandma came and met me just a few days after I was born. I think she was very happy to hold me and cuddle me! Since then I have gotten to spend more time with her. Just last weekend I was at her house and showed her how I eat my cereal and play with my toys like a big boy. I was a little bit of a stinker and wouldn't show her my new trick. I showed Great Grandpa and Daddy how I could roll over, but when Great Grandma came over to see my trick, I wouldn't do it again. I will show her next time! I love my great grandma!!

Ma—Hope this day, and this year, are good to you-- We love you!!

Picture One: The Birthday Girl
Picture Two: Back row: Kristin, Dan, Tim, Pat, Nick, Brian, Chris, Alex, Rose, Glenn
Kneeling: Ali, Jim, Tom, Matt
Next (sitting in chairs): Liz, Jen (holding Maggie), Mom, Dad (holding Joe), Jill (holding Kelly)
Floor: Sue, Patrick, Maddie, Bridget
Picture Three: Ali, Matt, Nick, Brian, Paul

Picture Four: Great-Grandma and Cameron

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, 'Aunt' CB !!!!
I love you dearly! No where near as much as my Mom did tho. Gladys loved you completely. You were her 'twin' cousin. Can't get better than that!
Lots of love!
Have a GREAT day!

Anonymous said...

Aunt CB - My mom and I so appreciated your thoughtfullness on sending Arnon daily cards. Even when he was not having the best of days - reading those cards to him and the stories of your youth would bring a smile to his face.

You have a good heart.


Diana

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday, CB,
Cannot tell you how much we love you. How you have made time through the years to be there for me and my family, I just don't know but thank you. And I love your thousand island dressing too and think of you every time I make it. Love,Dor

Anonymous said...

What a great day for a birthday, the first day of Spring! Happy Birthday, Mom!

Love, Sue

P.S. Beautiful petunias!

Jon Maney said...

It's a great day to acknowledge the gifts CB has given us. Think of the many thoughtful things she's done over the years--times she called, visited, or sent a card that touched our hearts. She has a gift for making us feel remembered and part of her ever growing family.

CB, may you always have "lots and lots of love," as my mother, Ruth, would say.

Anonymous said...

I am flabbergasted!!! You are all so kind, no one told of the many times we had to eat peanut butter fudge with a spoon or the many times I never saw what you did!!! And yes, every time I see "lots and lots of love" I think of Ruth!! I have many letters ending like that ! You are all wonderful and are what makes the whole thing worthwhile, every one of my 81 years!!!
I do miss my siblings terribly!!! We did lunch yesterday with Harold and went to a museum in Waterloo! [ pooped us all out!] He is doing well, had made brocolli soup the nite before!!!
I remain your loving Grandma/ma/ aunt who is grateful you did not spill ALL the beans!! CB

Anonymous said...

and while I'm thinking of it! I am sure that I hear Gladys snickering in the background because she never got this old!! And Paul, I can't even remember when you did that!! I can see your face tho!!! Yep, remember all the latchhook pillows we made and now Maddy is doing them!! Some things never go out of style! Grandma!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday to the Taylor girl's
favorite Aunt!!! We so appreciate
all you do. Your love is overflowing... Thank you, XOXOXOXO
Judy-Ann-Marylou-Kathy

Anonymous said...

I have to leave one more comment! Yep, Pat , you are right!!! They are hollyhocks!! How I used to love to make hollyhock dolls!!! Doris grew them at her house and we'd make them into dolls, as big as we were!!! Thank you , Pat!! Mom

Anonymous said...

Looks like we're missing an offline comment - Mom, is your posting saying that what I thought were petunias at the top of the blog are actually hollyhocks? Now that makes more sense! I was wondering why Pat chose that picture of flowers to put at the top of the blog for Mom's birthday, but I figured it was just to signify Spring.

Many times over the years, I've made hollyhock dolls. I don't remember where Mom first taught me that, but I remember that there were hollyhocks at Bob Marks' cottage at Christie Lake, where we spent our first summers in Canada when my age was still in single digits. I lined up lots of dolls on the arms of beach chairs by the lake. Many more hollyhock doll venues, too, but that's the one I most remember.

Sue

Anonymous said...

Mom had mentioned at Christmas how much she loved hollyhocks, and I was surprised, thinking to myself--what DO hollyhocks look like, and no, I do not really remember making or seeing those hollyhock dolls she is talking about.

So, for her birthday, I googled and got this picture.

Sue--you remember!!

Another example of different ages remembering different parts of our stories!

And, the Marks cottages at Christie Lake--there was some incredible flowery smell that I seem to have associated with them--a very few times (I do not think I am around hollyhocks much)I smell that scent and in my mind jump back to Christie. So--what do hollyhocks smell like--can't google that, can I?!

Anonymous said...

I am constantly amazed at what is on the internet!!!And yes, that is a hollyhock doll and a lovely one!! My Mom always grew hollyhocks so we made them all the time. You kids will remember that 2846 was mostly shade and hollyhocks need sun and also take 2 years to grow so until I filched some from Doris at the 2 year level we never had any there but they never grew well They are an old fashioned flower and I think have no smell much. However Bob Marks wife had roses there , Pat, maybe that is what you remember!!! [ and you were only 4 or so!!] Ma