Condolences
Opal Elvira Jones (Anderson)
March 5, 1932 – Jan 11, 2022
This is a non-exhaustive list of various memories both big and small that I have of my Gram. It may not make sense to the reader, I apologize. Lets begin.
1. Confederation Park
a. Feeding bread to the ducks
b. Tobogganing, missing trees most of the time
c. Bike Riding around the bend near the echo tunnel and falling off, leading to a permanent forehead lump.
d. Yelling in the echo tunnel
e. Seeing the beavers in the creek
f. Taking Corky for a walk
2. The park up the street
a. Skating at the ice rink in the winter after Gramps shoveled a patch off
b. Learning to ride my bike in the summer in the same spot the rink was
3. McDonalds, A&W and Peters
4. Your friends Ivy, Stella, Bobbi. I thought everyone had a neighbor across the way who let you use their garage.
5. The crazy house next door with never ending problems. Dogs, roof holes, loud scary people.
6. The white picket fence and hundreds of flowers with perfect grass
7. Riding around in that blue pedal car
8. Driving in the brown car – everyone else on the road seemed to be a “Turkey” which was the funniest thing in the world to me and Nick.
9. Pushing the insulation on the ceiling of the car and leaving our finger imprints
10. Pork Chops for Dinner
11. Bacon Sandwiches for breakfast
12. That little round kitchen table with the high back swivel chairs that went in complete circles resulting in endless spinning
13. How the ironing board came right out of the wall to fold down. Magic!
14. Endless hours of coloring. No matter how hard I tried, you were always somehow way better.
15. Painting – on paper with a brush, or with my fingers, or making those plastic ornaments that have to go in the oven after
16. Rolling the brown stool around the house in an endless circle
17. Relaxing in the back yard under the tree
18. Helping out at the Food Bank
19. Learning you were in a prison ministry – so cool!
20. Thanksgiving Dinner. The BEST turkey ever, and Yorkshire pudding was mandatory. Apparently, it was usually wrong, but it was so good.
21. Moving the photos on your wall around to see if you would notice. You didn’t.
22. The carpet – even in the bathroom!
23. The Den
a. Cuddling up on the rocker to pray, read and learn the Lord’s Prayer
b. Countless Sleepovers with or without Nick
24. Sitting on your bed with you while you read your bible with a brown leather zip up cover and a red velvet dove, there were so many highlights and mark ups.
25. Church
a. Helping with garbage’s, vacuuming, a whole day of polishing pews
b. Learning how to get candle wax out of a carpet with an iron and some wax paper
c. Getting heck for using Palm Sunday crosses as swords
d. A couple trips out of the service for a ‘discussion’
e. Helping you with the transparencies for the projector
f. Your white crescent moon tambourine with the black handle. No other tambourine compares.
26. Dimples. Even when serious, they were there.
27. Learning you were one of those girls on roller skates for A&W back in the day. I don’t know why, but its come up so many times and I love telling people about it.
28. Your very distinctive laugh that has never been reproduced. Its sort of a gasping for air noise in quick succession, ending in a high pitch and if really funny followed by a knee slap. Eyes must be nearly closed. Dimples at full bloom.
29. Watching you doodle whenever you were on the phone
30. Bickering with Gramps about tiny little things. There is no greater joy than watching someone else bicker with Ruth in the room egging things on.
31. How you and Gramps always stood at the window as we got in our car so that you could wave and see us off. When you moved and there was no window, you came out on the driveway to do the same.
32. Your front sidewalk with those very distinctive first bricks set out in a diamond shape rather than boring squares. The new place they put up there is just a cardboard box
33. Corky & Patches and that Canary
34. The closet full of little games and mind benders
35. I don’t personally remember but hearing multiple times about how there was a cake on a stool and you kept telling everyone that came in DO NOT SIT ON THE CAKE, and then once everyone was there, you sat on the cake. Gold.
36. The first time I heard you swear the “S-word”
37. Riley Park
a. So many trips, usually with Aunt Sharon and Nick, then later on AJ and Heather as well, usually involving a picnic. The hill was good but getting a spot on the island was always the best.
38. Camping with you, my Dad & Ruth
39. Learning that you were afraid of driving in the mountains and thinking it was hilarious when my dad would bug you about it.
40. That you didn’t like Lightning Storms at all
41. Even though I never knew Cathy, I would always hear stories about her. I can hardly wait to meet her, and I am so happy you get to see her again
42. That silly plastic cat that I painted as a kid which you kept proudly displayed for far too many years
43. The pantry under the basement stairs. I know a lot on this list is random, but that sure feels extra random
44. The windows with those 3 ventilation holes in them. I never understood how your house could even stay warm with those ancient windows
45. The big old trunk sized record player/cassette player/radio
46. Calling sandals thongs.
47. Seeing the note you sent home to dad that time I was maybe a little too rowdy at your place
48. Picking me up from School at Collingwood on Fridays
49. When you got me a hot water bottle for my ear that time I got an ear infection
50. Being there to pick the “Mickey Mouse” wallpaper for my room. 3 non connected white dots in a triangular shape is Mickey Mouse in the head of a 6-year-old. I will die on that hill
51. All the kids shows – Fred Penner, Friendly Giant, Mr Dressup, Square 13, Mr Rogers, Muppet Show etc
52. Kingo Bingo with Don Wood and the CFCN News with Barb Higgins and Darrel Janz
53. That time there was a questionable thing on a CFCN tv show about a cat being turned in to cat food so you had Gramps call the channel to complain.
54. The Humming. I don’t know why it never bothered me at all as a kid, but you passed it along to me and Aiden somehow and now it drives me crazy! When I am humming though, it’s totally fine.
55. Calling you on the intercoms that Gramps installed.
56. Visiting Great Gramma at that yellow apartment tower down the hill
57. How you say Y’ello in an almost singing voice when answering the phone.
58. How you always seemed to have the same hair-do
59. That way you pursed your lips, gave a head tilt, and put your hands on your hip when you werent having any of it! Even then there was a bit of a grin and some dimples.
60. “Oh Sod off!”
61. The distinctive acceleration sound that all her cars made somehow. Sort of a slow whine as we slowwwwwwwwly took off. Did the car ever make it past 2nd gear? I don’t see how it could have.
62. Trips to Calaway Park, usually with The Foy’s in tow. How many times we rode the Spider in a row? Too many to count.
Edit: Nick Foy thought of a few more!
63. The woodpecker on the metal pole. Tick tick tick.
64. Gingersnaps from the blue cookie jar.
65. Pulling the vacuum cord and then letting it whip back in to it at full blast like a whip.
65. Making patterns on the couch with our hands
66. Playing with the metal corner pieces on those brass/glass tables and trying to get them back in to place without getting caught.
There were so many more things over the years. I will try to add things as I think of them. So many laughs and fun with you, Gramps, my Dad, Ruth Uncle Bert, Aunt Sharon, and the very first best friends I ever had: Nick, AJ and Heather. There isn’t a person out there with a better set of cousins than that.
You were always there for people, putting everyone else first, sacrificing so many hours to take care of me, when you didn’t have to. Giving so much to St Luke’s and its members. You were the most generous person I have ever known. I have a lot of flaws, but none of that came from you. You taught me charity, joy, love, service to others, the importance of family, and you gave me and so many other people our Faith. Thank you for being a constant presence in my life. I am so happy you get to see Grampa, and your daughter Cathy once again, after so many years. I love you, I always have, and I always will. Thank-you for everything.
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