Seagulls, a foghorn and a gaelic greeting!
No, no lobsters! I do NOT have the typical family fondness for lobsters, I look at them
and see not a mouthwatering dish but a giant prehistoric bug!
Why do I dislike them so you might ask...go ahead�ask!
It happened many years ago in Nana's kitchen in # 'leven...
yes I said 'leven, admit it family, there's not a one of you who ever pronounced that first 'e'!!
I remember the time Vic said, "So, your grandparents live in Number Eleven?"
I thought he sounded like such an idiot...hehe!
Ahem�back to my point before it wanders off completely!
It was Nana's kitchen, back when I was about 5 or so, and she had just put a pair of
enormous lobsters in her big pot�probably ones Al 'caught' *wink wink*.
She put the lid on and left the room just as I was coming in from 'the porch' where
I'd been raiding the fridge. As I walked thru the door the pot on that big old coal stove
started to rattle, then shake, then it bloody well started to dance!
The way I look at it there were two possibilities; it was 1962 so perhaps they were groovin' to
Chubby Checkers bit hit 'The Twist' or more likely those two prehistoric roaches didn't appreciate
Nana dropping them in that pot of boiling water (who would?!?!) and an escape attempt was in the works.
Perhaps they felt if they could just make it out of the kitchen, down Dorchester Street, and across the
ball diamond to the brook it was a matter of a quick swim and they'd be back in the briny blue!
The over active imagination of a five year old looked at things a tad differently! All I saw was
the pot tip over and two nasty green giant bugs racing across the floor in my direction�waving their
claws in a most menacing way I might add!
I let out a blood-curdling scream and in one leap I was sitting on the kitchen counter shaking
harder then the pot had been.
Trust me�I NEVER looked at lobsters the same way again!!!
So whether I dislike them because I think the flavour vile or whether I think the flavour is vile
because deep (or not so deep) in my subconscious I still consider them giant prehistoric bugs
I'll leave to you!
Now that I have that out of my system I should tell you what this page is about. . .hehe.
This page is about my family and my roots...those aussies among you get your minds out of the
gutter...I'm refering to my family tree!!
My family is from Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, altho few of us still reside there, I know
that most of us would go back if it were an option.
A quick glance below and I think you'll see why.
But Cape Breton is much more than the world's most amazing scenery. . .
it's the people, the music. . .it's a feeling.
It's in your heart, your soul, and no matter how far you travel it's in your blood and will
never let you go.
It calls to you like the mournful sound of the foghorn that haunted your childhood,
like the Sirens of ancient lore, beckoning you back to the rugged shores of home.
Ok,ok, stop drolling over the photos, you're getting your keyboard wet!
This next section is a family tree...sort of.
I am not going to list the myriad of great aunts and uncles that
make up my family.
I guess maybe I should call this my photo family
tree. I intend to have each name a link to photos of the
person named, don't worry relatives...hehe...I think you will be pleasantly surprised by my choices!
The individual pages will pop up in a new window, just click
the 'close window' button and you'll come right back here!!
Ok then, let's get to the begattin'...y'know, so 'n so married such 'n such and begat...
Now for the two who are responsible for it all!
Dolena MacKenzie married Alexander MacLean and were the proud parents of, among others, my nana,
Anna Mae MacLean
who married Gordon Smith. Let's see some pics as these two as a
couple.
Gordon and Annie Mae delivered into the world Gordon
Allister, Marjorie Lorraine and Isabel Arlene.
Ironically all three bundles of joy disagreed with mother and dad's choice of first names and opted to
go by their middle names.
Allister, or Al, married Joyce Ransome and they were responsible
for Allan Maynard, Brenda Joy and Darrell Earl.
Lorraine married Gus MacPherson and they brought forth
Debra
Lorraine...me:-), Fay Michelle and Gordon aka Gordie Thomas.
Lorraine remarried in 1986 to William a.k.a. Babe Davis.
Arlene married Eric Hurst and from them came Catherine aka Cathy Arlene, Eric Allister and
Shannon Lynn.
Next generation!
Allan married Mary and they proudly introduced Allison and Megan to the world.
Brenda married Leroy Wadden and they were thrilled to show off Lisa and Stephanie.
Darrel hasn't done any begattin'...so far.
Debra married Vic Chiasson and they are constantly amazed by their daughter
Michele.
Debra remarried in 1986 to Dean Ertel.
Yes I did it again...third time's a charm...I recently moved to Australia and married
Peter Felmingham!
Fay and Kenny a.k.a. Butch Nicholson had Kenny and Brandon.
Fay was recently remarried to Dave Andrews and they have rounded off their family with the
delightful Summer...all three kids do their best to keep them on their toes!
Gord and Cori MacDonald are the beaming parents of T.J. and Evan.
Cathy was tragically taken from us all in November of 1996, her beauty, giving heart and delightfully
wicked sense of humour is sorely missed by one and all.
Eric married Laurie and have Kyle, Kaitlyn and Kimmy to brighten their lives.
Shannon married Marc Chaput and are busy chasing Emily and Alex.
Another generation to be heard from...
Michele married Chris Toovey and suprised us all with the adorable and ever
delightful Thomas.
They too reside in Australia.
I don't as yet have photos of everyone and what I do have are mainly from my own photo albums,
so if it seems that I am in a lot of other people's pictures...what can I say?
Listen to me family...get your digital cameras and scanners workin' and send me some family photos!
So that's it�for now!
Suffice it to say I WILL get this page finished... EVENTUALLY!!
I hoped you enjoyed this trip down memory lane and don't forget to check out the links to Cape Breton Island listed below, then you too will understand why we feel like we do!
History of Cape Breton
Glace Bay...my hometown
Fortress Louisburg
Marconi Historical Site
Alexander Graham Bell Museum
The Cabot Trail
The Keltic Lodge
The Miner's Museum
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