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Today’s Blog Post
Papa and Mama Martigny's Home– and the End of the World
It is hard to come home this time.
In a short few days I feel like we have been to the other side of the world and back again. This morning when I woke up I was not sure where I was at first. It was a few minutes before I connected the dots. It truly felt as if I had been in another world and was not home yet.
How do I possibly explain the experience?
On Friday we stepped out of Canada and back into a time about 200 years ago as we walked into the home of Papa and Mama Martigny. The Martigny family arrived in the Montreal area from France with 7 children about 40 years ago. Since that time they had 2 more.
Papa found this ancient home at the far end of one of the Islands near Montreal. Just down the road there is a place that is entitled locally, “the end of the world”, in that it is as far as one go on the island. To the east there is nothing but fast flowing water coming from your right and left as two huge river systems converge around the tip.
We stepped back in time as we came to take part in the Wedding of Papa and Mama’s daughter Valerie. Valerie married Glenn on Saturday to start their new life together.
Valerie’s 8 siblings were there with their mates and some of the children to support them, along with many of their friends.
At the family home there may have been up to 18 people sleeping within the house, the RV and the trailer that were parked beside the 200 year old home.
In the kitchen each morning we gathered for breakfast… lots of us… all hungry at the same time. That was the same on Friday night for the meal we had together – but not everyone was there yet.
The kitchen alone is big enough to have about 10 or so milling around doing their part to prepare for everyone else. Words cannot really tell you what a kitchen in a 200 year old house is like – except to say that there were two stove tops, gas and electric, two wall mounted ovens and also a stone oven for making bread. The ladle that went into the bread oven was about 7 feet in length – so you can reach way back into the oven to retrieve your loaves.
Papa and Mama Martigny are older now and with a few aches and pains. This is specially true after a terrible car accident in about 2004 where both came close to death. Mama was the most serious as she was on life support for a period of time.
You would never know that they were their age if you would have been at the wedding. Mama was right their in the middle dancing up a storm with her kids and grandkids. Her long white hair was in a tight knot as she flew around that floor. Not bad for some one in her 80s!
Now just in case you think it was a waltz… NOT! It was pure and simple, rock and roll mixed with modern music from a fast paced DJ that grinned when Mama took to the floor. The strobe lights and laser beams bounced off her hair and every one there!
On Sunday morning I rose early to listen to the peaceful rain drops following in the old roof of their cottage. I looked out the four different window to see the beauty of Quebec. The sea gulls called loudly the from the river across the road. Later the church bells pealed out their welcome to the people still snuggled in bed… it was a slow Sunday Morning and the Martigny Clan was coming to life from the many different bedrooms upstairs and down. The floor boards creaked in that old house as soft feet started another day… and I could smell coffee coming from way down in the kitchen…
I wish I could take you there… I truly do.
Papa Martigny spoke with me through his one son-in-law. “I am very sorry that I cannot speak with you clearly. I regret that I could not learn to speak English. I was too old. I bought the records and books, but couldn’t speak. But meeting you this weekend makes me want to speak English. I am so sorry.”
Papa Martigny’s first name is Noel… and with that I can say that I have truly met “Pere Noel” – Father Christmas in the English way of describing it.
Noel is also a wood worker. His daughter Valerie had often told me, “You are like my father. You and he have a lot in common. You both work with wood.”
Valerie especially told me that when she saw my garage.
When I saw Noel’s wood shop I also agreed. Amazing – simply amazing. Dust, dust, dust… and wood chips all over! Heaven!
Before leaving I gave Papa one of my hand carved leaves. There were big tears in his eyes. Mama thanked me for the gift… for them. He quickly told her that the gift was from me to him…!
There is more to this story… far more than I can tell today…
I left part of my heart in a 200 or so year old house… with two new friends, Papa and Mama Martigny. I have visited Old France and I have been to the end of the world. And I have a lump in my throat today.
Oh Boy!
(more coming tomorrow… way more…)
~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/
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