CFN – I happened to be in Martintown recently. I had taken my cat, big big baby Tiger to Shannoncourt Central Bark Center for a bath and had some time to kill while my poor little darling pussycat was under the hose to get rid of excess fur. Looking for a cup of coffee somewhere , I moseyed into the Martintown Trading Post Cafe. What a nice surprise. It was like walking back in time . Lace table clothes on the tables and lots of memorabelia on the walls, including an old scrub board. An old wood cooking stove with two ovens graced one wall, reminding me of some former time, maybe in my late grandmother’s kitchen many years ago. The owners Tammy and Gary Meyers were very friendly and welcoming and said the cafe had been opened for about a year. Gary gave us a tour of the adjourning room which again had lots of antiques but also jams, jellies, soaps and other special articles for sale. It is worth the trip to visit this wonderful cafe. By the way, the coffee was delicious and Tiger, big big baby, …well, he survived his bath, not uttering one meow on the way home. .
On the National Post web site May 28th. was an article by reporter Jason Rehel on the anti-aging benefits of Tai Chi. He says that due to a new study of Tai Chi at the cellular level by researchers in Taiwan, Tai chi may be a virtual fountain of youth. The researchers are studying stem cells and comparing the benefits of Tai Chi to other exercises such as brisk walking. Besides its anti-aging effects, Tai Chi’s other benefits have been well researched and include better balance which helps falls prevention, stress reduction as well as now adding to the list, better blood flow and pain reduction.
I remember back in the late eighties when I first started taking Tai Chi lessons, of walking out of the class one night when I suddenly realized that I must have been stressed going in because now I felt calm. I feel the stress reduction after every class. It works. Other big bonuses happened unexpectantly. At the same time I found out that I had food allergies, I also went to see Dr. Chris Fullerton the Chiropractor who straightened out a few kinks. It seemed, combined with no more kinks and not eating the things I was allergic to and continuing Tai Chi, I no longer had pain in my arthritic hips, after years of suffering from Osteo- Arthritis in them. All traces of pain are gone unless I do something stupid like lifting something very heavy. I am very grateful not to wake up stiff and sore.
I remember being at an Addiction workshop in Ottawa just after I had started taking Tai Chi classes. One of my co-workers from Mount Carmel House, who had been sitting at another table, came over to me and asked me how old I thought a gentleman at her table could be. He was well built and youthful. I replied that he was probably mid-forties. She laughed and said that he was seventy-one years old and a Tai Chi Master who had been practicing for many years. I thought she was kidding because he did not even look over fifty. We decided if that was what Tai Chi could do for him, maybe we had better keep going to Tai Chi classes. I am still going .
My Editor Jamie’s past article on losing someone hit close to home. At the end he writes about thinking of how you want to be remembered. At this point, I haven’t got much of a clue except maybe that I have cared about others. But the article made me think of how I was remembering the four wonderful people who died this year that I loved so much. I realized I was grieving them and feeling the holes in my heart without looking so much at how they had been such joys in my life. My wonderful Elaine who was just so much fun to be with died about a year ago .
We were like eight year olds together for some reason..seemingly to play and sing and just have so much fun together. I miss the laughter and the music we shared. My brother-in-law Doug married my older sister when I was a baby. I didn’t know life without him. He was fun and a wonderful big brother who was always there. He died in November. And then less than a month after his passing, my sister , grieving became ill and suddenly died in January. Whew! Too much! Coolie was a sister in every sense of the word. She was a little dynamo and people meeting her would say that you couldn’t be in the room with her for five minutes without being charmed by her wonderful spirit and humour. And then a month ago, one of my closest , dearest friends Anne died. She had been a patient at the Villa for a few years following a stroke. I loved to visit her and be with her talking about the old days when we painted together at the art studio and all the wonderful things we did together. Then suddenly, only a few days after my last visit, she went to sleep and left us for her heavenly home.
Like Elaine, I miss her friendship and all the good times so much. But Jamie’s article reminded me that I am so grateful for all the wonderful memories which will never leave. When my Mom died in her ninety-third year, someone said to me that I had been so lucky to have her all those years. I remember replying that it wasn’t long enough.And that’s the way love is.
The Cornwall General Hospital now has the” sold’ sign on it as well as the old Nurses Residence where I lived for three years when I was in training. Lots of memories associated with those buildings. We are all wondering what will be their fate.
A joke from the Funny Farm:
Two farmers were in a barn sampling the local moonshine. After awhile one farmer said to the other, “You better not drink anymore.” The other farmer asked why not. The first farmer replied, “I can hardly see you. You’re getting so fuzzy.”
Have a good week, Dawn
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Although the sale of the General seems to be a lost at this time, I’m hoping it will become a gain once more.
The many years of service the old hospital buildings on Water Street show it’s possible.