Sandwiches and New Beginnings

When I was 5 years old ( a very long time ago) my family moved into a house in the north end of Winnipeg - West Kildonan to be exact. My mother has lived in that house ever since. When my Dad died and occasionally for years after my sister and I suggested that my Mom move out of the house and move into somewhere that would provide company and assistance. My Mom always refused saying she was happy in the house which was full of memories, that she was capable of living independently (just last week she mowed the lawn herself - she is 93!) and that she enjoyed her privacy and whatever contact she had with her friends and relatives.

A few weeks ago - after enjoying the hubbub surrounding Jay's wedding and visiting my sister in Montreal - and then experiencing being alone in her house again - my Mom asked me and my sister to investigate a retirement residence for her.

To put it mildly my sister and I exploded into action.

This week we are traveling to Winnipeg to move our mother into the Portsmouth Retirement Residence in Tuxedo. Not only is she leaving her home of 50 odd years but she specifically asked to leave the north end - a place she has lived for 85 years!

She will enjoy her new surroundings. She has a one bedroom apartment with a balcony. Her meals will be taken in a dining room. There are activities and a wonderful park nearby.

But first the move - packing and saying goodbye to an old lifestyle