Sisters: Travels with My Mother and Her Siblings

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This weekend I had the privilege of spending uninterrupted time with the three ladies that I admire the most: my mother and her two younger sisters. It started Thursday morning with a 400 mile road trip that paralleled one that we’d taken together twenty years ago with my “other mother”–my amazing, vivacious, forever young grandmother.

Background

As the oldest grandchild, I  have always been lucky to have strong female role models. I’ve also been able to experience the magic of sisterhood even though I’ve never had or been a sister. My mother and her sisters have an unbreakable bond–one that they’ve shared with me throughout the years. As the oldest granddaughter/daughter/niece, I was often included in their adventures. Sometimes, like today, just as the driver.

My mother was only 18 years old when I was born–back in the days when you married as soon as you graduated from high school and had a baby nine months later. I was rarely called by my true first name. Instead, I was called “Joyce” by my grandmother, my mother, and my aunt Vonnie.  It wasn’t on purpose–Joyce was, after all, my youngest aunt’s name. And, I was always referred to as one of the sisters. Aunt Jo would say “Ask your sister this,” or my mother would say “Call your sister about that.” It doesn’t bother me; I know who they are talking to and what they mean. I always answer.

My mom, my niece Jessica, Aunt Vonnie, and I  left Ohio at 7:00 a.m. and traveled through Pennsylvania and New York to Ontario. The trip took longer than usual. we stopped four times, arriving at our destination at 4:00 p.m.  A trip that I can easily make in seven hours on my own took nine, but I wouldn’t trade that time for the world.

The Last Time

On our way we reminisced about the last time the group of us (minus Jessica) had traveled together–on a trip that we joking refer to as the trip from hell.  Back in 1998, we decided to travel north to Aunt Jo’s. There were eight of us that year, and we took two vehicles. Grandma drove her car with Aunt Vonnie, my cousin Grace (age 16 at the time), my daughter Meghan (almost 6), and Grandma’s beloved pug, Josh.  My mom, my two boys who were ages 8 and 2, and I traveled in my mother’s 1998 Chevy Blazer.

The Long Way Around Lake Ontario

Because Grandma (and Mom) did not want to drive through Toronto, we decided to take the long way around Lake Ontario, taking the Thousand Islands Bridge across the border. This route adds at least 3 hours to the trip time without stops.  It might have been okay, if Grandma hadn’t insisted on stopping at every single service plaza on the New York State Thruway. Every. Single. One.

I remember driving Mom’s blazer across the Thousand Islands Bridge. The Blazer sat higher than my Plymouth Voyager minivan, and it was extremely windy that day. It was terrifying. I really thought we’d be blown off the bridge.

In the days before GPS and cell phones, we tried our best to stay together. We almost succeeded. However, there was construction. A granite hillside was being blasted to widen the road, and we were delayed. There was also a LONG detour, and somehow we got separated.

Arrival

We did eventually get to my aunt Joyce’s house in Apsley and headed down the lake to the cottage. When I first started going to the cottage, it was just a dinky one-room hunting camp. There was no electricity, no running water, and the restroom was…you guessed it…an outhouse.  In spite of these minor inconveniences, it was in one of what I consider to be the most beautiful locations in the world.

Aunt Vonnie and Grandma stayed next door with my uncle’s parents. Their cottage was a bit more sophisticated from the beginning–it actually had bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen. Mom, the kids, and I stayed with Aunt Jo and Uncle Kim at the camp, while my cousins April, Amber, and Grace slept in a tent outside.

By 1998, the camp had electricity. Marilyn and Delbert next door even had a hot tub. My aunt and uncle added on to the camp, probably tripling its size. They even added a bathroom with a shower. No more bathing in the lake or running to the outhouse in the middle of the night!

Lake Life

At the time, there were three planes on the lake, one of which belonged to my uncle. He had actually built it himself from a kit. One of the highlights of the trip was flying in the two-seater float plane. It was Rory’s first plane ride; he was too small to fit in the special life vest, so he had to use his kiddie life jacket. When it was my turn, Uncle Kim even let me land the plane.

Life at the lake has always been very relaxing. You swim, canoe, or fish, for the most part. I love to lie on the dock and read. The movement of the dock and the heat of the sun is so relaxing. But, as soon as it gets dark, the killer mosquitoes descend, and it’s time to go indoors. While indoors, we’d play cards or board games and talk.

Our Uncle Josh

Grandma’s pug Josh was the most annoying dog ever, and of course, Gram insisted on bringing him on the trip.  I think only Gram and Meghan liked him. Grandma loved him so much that she cooked him spaghetti and chicken every night. The dog ate better than we did. Josh snored “just like Toppy” (my grandfather). She seriously referred to her dog as my uncle and my mother’s brother. Josh always had terrible gas, and he would scoot his butt across the floor. But, he was company for Gram after my grandpa died, and she loved him.

My cousin April (17 at the time) and I would go out on the dock and complain about Josh. We spoke in French so that Grandma wouldn’t know what we were saying. It was pretty funny.

The Trip Home

We all agreed to drive home through Toronto because of all the delays on the trip up. Before we got to the border, we stopped at The Beacon Restaurant in St. Catherines, Ontario. The restaurant had just reopened after a fire, and we dined in the main dining room which looked out onto Lake Ontario. Mom remembers that she asked Gram to watch her purse while she went into the restroom.  Instead, Grandma left the purse at the table while she went out to the car to take the left-over scraps to her dog Josh while the kids and I were walking on the dock.

While we joke about the trip now, it was a great bonding experience. Being with Grandma, my mom, and my aunts, and spending time together was priceless. Within two years, Grandma Lee would start to to go downhill.  I think that was the last time she drove to Canada, although she did ride up again for April and Josh’s wedding in 2002 and Owen’s birth in 2003.

Present Time

On this trip, Jessica and I drove, while Mom and Aunt Vonnie rode in the back seat. We jokingly referred to the trip as “Driving Miss Daisy Times Two.” Despite one or two instances of backseat driving, the trip went really well. Mom taught Aunt Vonnie how to use her iPad and convinced her that she needed to get an iPhone instead of her dinosaur-like flip phone. Seriously, my mom at almost 70  knows more about using her iPhone and iPad than I do. I should hire her to teach me all those tricks.

Three Generations

On this trip, we met Amber and her husband’s newborn, their first. At only six days old, baby Hawk was still “fresh and new,” as April said. Hawk doesn’t know how lucky he is to have the three sisters as his “Gramma Jo” and great-aunts. We played Mexican Train dominoes, walked, shopped, talked, and just spent time together reminiscing and making new memories. Our plans included going down the lake, just for the day on Saturday, but instead we chose to to watch April’s two middle boys play baseball at Curve Lake. We dined on poutine and butter tarts (some of us more than once) and had some wonderful salmon, pulled pork, and hamburgers, as well as April’s amazing apple crisp topped with Kawartha Dairy Salted Caramel Truffle ice cream.

It was a normal weekend, doing normal weekend things, 400 miles away from home. However, it was a weekend journey that spanned three generations–from newest member of the family, little Hawk, to his great-aunt Debbie (my mom), the matriarch of our family.

Playing Games

Food

Shopping

Time with the Three Sisters

As I’ve gotten older, our time together has been limited. The three sisters are more active than many people forty years younger. Next month, my parents are planning a hiking trip in Newfoundland. My Aunt Jo and Uncle Kim are traveling to Africa where they plan to ride a motorcycle through several different areas. Aunt Aunt Vonnie? She just got back from a trip to Grace’s in Louisiana and is busy raising goats and chickens on her little farm in Southern Ohio.

Each of the three sisters is unique in her own way. They are similar, but have different strengths.  I love them all because each of them is special, and I’m so thankful that I was able to spend these four days with them.

If you enjoyed this post, please check out Adventures in Grandparenting and The First Annual Cleland Clan Easter Eggstravaganza.

Planning on visiting Apsley? Check out the town’s website. If you want to know more about Four Seasons on Wellington or Apsley Outdoors, click here.

If you want to take a road trip from the U.S. to Canada, click here to find out who all needs a passport and where to get one. Hint: Not everyone in your party may need one.

Watch for a new post coming soon with more information on shopping in Apsley.

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