Nan's Day

There is a very dear and special lady in my life. It's a relationship that I could have never in my wildest imagination anticipated. We share a home.

It is her wonderful place in Newfoundland that has become our adopted home.  Her neighbourhood is our adopted community. Her son is my adopted brother. And she, is my sweet and wonderful adopted Nan.  


She lived her entire married life on Salt Harbour Island, moving from her in-laws house next door to a house that been pulled down the ice before she even knew her husband. She lived in one and worked on the other - 65 years later, I was doing exactly the opposite, walking down the same path.

We've had many conversations about what it was like to live and work in a fishing outport. Even though it was hard work, she has loved her life. She told me one day that she 'goes home every night in her dreams'. She has read over a thousand books in the past 8 years and crocheted countless gifts.

She is always delighted to meet the 'mainlanders' who have come out to her home. She has said to me a number of times 'I am so happy that the house is filled with fun and laughter. It always was.' And you can tell - it has the most wonderful aura - you can just feel it. I consider it a huge blessing and honour to get to spend time there.

She has brought a light to my life, a smile to my heart. It was a lovely stroke of providence that brought her into my life.

She says:  "I loves you.'  I respond: 'I love you too' to which she replies: 'I knows you do.' I hope you DO know that, dear Nan. On this day, your 99th Birthday and every day.

"OUR" Home... the Warren Homestead.  The house on the right is where Nan lived for the first two years of her marriage and then moved into the one on the right. We first had the house on the right, then were lucky to acquire the one on the left to put the property back to its original state.