Cousin Lise wrote this as a comment for one of the Arrine and Grandma Anne-Marie pictures.

“This is honestly one of my most favorite stories ever.

Once upon a time, there was a soul Old and Wise.  Old and Wise lived her life so richly, and with such meaning, that her actual life in her body was shorter than most, because she lived with genuine purpose and got all of her living done fast.

Her body got tired one day, but her soul, as souls do, shone as brightly as ever, allowing her to live with dignity as her soul was pulling her away…

As Old and Wise receded back down the mysterious place souls go, there appeared Two Little Sparkles, together, on the horizon…as Old and Wise’s light faded dimmer and dimmer, the Two Little Sparkles grew brighter and brighter…

Old and Wise met the Two Little Sparkles in the middle, where she folded the Two Little Sparkles into her arms, welcomed them into the world, and bestowed on them her knowledge, wisdom and grace.

And that’s how we now have a new Elizabeth, and a new Arrine.”

I’ve updated the Donations page with a little ditty about all the fabulous donations you have made in honour of amm.

We have the picture of amm and Madeleine that we used for thank-you cards on the top shelf of the toy shelf in Arrine’s play area. Just within the last week or so she has started going up on her tippy toes to reach the picture. My favourite moment we captured was Arrine giving the picture of Grandma Anne-Marie a nice big kiss!

Dear Mackenzie,

Thank-you for the lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely letter you wrote me about my Grandma Anne-Marie. My mommy cried while she read it. Good tears though.

Love Arrine

amm’s cousin and my Godmother, Colleen, called me the other day. She told me that she got a tribute to my mom and asked me to guess. I replied, “Ummm, a designer handbag?” Not quite. Something much better, if you can believe it! Colleen received her Metis status in Saskatchewan. This past summer she began the process and she recently received notice of the approval of her application.

I didn’t get a chance to ask more details as Arrine woke from her nap and we needed to end our conversation. But it was enough to bring tears to my eyes. Good tears.

amm wrote out the recipe for her Chocolate Chip Cheeseball for me a few years back. It came from the Breast of Friends cookbook which I now do have a copy of. The recipe’s name may throw you off at first, but once you learn that the ball contains chocolate chips, cream cheese, icing sugar, brown sugar and vanilla, and get a scoop of it on your Nilla wafer, you are hooked!

I made one to take with us to Anth & Julie’s over the holidays. Julie set it out on Boxing Day when other friends and family came over. It was so nice when amm’s cousin Roxanne and our family friend Doreen, both mentioned having the dessert at amm’s at one time or another. It’s quite memorable!

Then yesterday I served the Chocolate Chip Cheeseball when ladies from my New Moms Group came over with their babes and it went over really well. Many of them commented on how much they loved it! Luckily there was some left over, so I can enjoy some heaping scoops of this sweet treat while I write this post!

I didn’t realize that this recipe wasn’t already on the website. Next chance I get I will scan in amm’s written out copy and post it…

Just yesterday I remembered one of amm’s guilty pleasures. It seems so unlike her that it’s funny, now that I think about it. But I can remember, many years ago, amm enjoying a good ol’ Filet ‘O Fish from McDonald’s. When we were young and would have family trips to the farm or to Regina or Saskatoon, I can remember the drive-through stops at McDonald’s and amm ordering a Filet ‘O Fish. And of course she doused her fries with vinegar.

I am pretty sure I have written about the greek restaurant that we love, Koutouki. With Grandpa Charlie babysitting, last night Nick and I went on our first evening date since Arrine arrived. Yes – it’s been almost 10 months since just the two of us have gone out together after Arrine is in bed. It felt different not having her with us, but liberating in way.

We chose to go to Koutouki and enjoy their meze which is a set menu where they just bring you appetizers and salad and pita with four dips and then chicken and rice pilaf and finally roasted lamb and potatoes. It was a favourite spot for us to take amm when she was in town. And we were seated next to the table that amm and I sat at the last time we ate there together.

While eating the rice pilaf, even though I was already full, I asked Nick if I had ever told him about the rice pilaf that amm would make. He said he remembered me mentioning it, but I have never made it because I never did get the recipe from her. I would just enjoy it each time she made it…

Arrine loves butterflies. It might have something to do with the butterfly decals on her walls and the pictures of butterflies we have in books for her or all the butterfly clothes and toys and blankets that she has received as gifts with butterflies.

But I don’t care the reasoning behind why she loves them. I just love that when we see an image of a butterfly somewhere and you say to her, “Arrine, where is the butterfly?” She touches the butterfly with a huge smile on her face.

When I was working with the fabric I used for Arrine’s holiday dress, it reminded me of my father’s marriage proposal to amm. The story goes that he bought her some fabulous fabric from her favourite fabric store. He had placed the ring inside and presented her with the bolt of fabric. amm loved the fabric but became a bit annoyed when Charles asked, then insisted that she open the fabric up. I can just see amm answering Charles with frustration in her tone, “I don’t need to open the fabric up. I can see it just fine, all folded up.” But of course in the end she opened it and said yes.

I am sure that Charles could add a few more details or correct me where my memory of the story isn’t quite correct…