Almost one month from the day I left, I am once again seated in front of my trusty iMac, ready to resume my duties as chronicler of our fair hamlet. The reason for my lengthy absence from the keyboard is simple. I was in need of cardiac bypass surgery and my number on the waiting list at the Ottawa Heart Institute finally came up. Yes, the wait was frustrating. But let me assure you… it was worth it. The professionalism and world-class level of care the Heart Institute provided was astounding.
Consider for a moment, the skill of my surgeon, Dr. Marc Ruel. As no valve replacement was being performed, I was not put on the cardiopulmonary bypass unit (or heart–lung machine to us ordinary folk). So my heart continued to beat throughout the operation. This means Dr. Ruel had to synchronize each suture with the teeny fragment of time my heart was at rest between beats. Amazing.
Unfortunately, the tsunami of anesthetics that washed over me from the moment I entered the bone-chilling operating theatre had a serious impact on the memory circuit of my internal hard drive. As a result, from the ICU to the recovery floor, much of my stay remains a blur. However, I do have a strong recollection of a giant orderly, just hours after the operation, scooping me off my ICU bed to do “the shuffle” and then the “danglies.” While no doubt a tried and true part of the therapeutic process, this was the very last thing I wanted to do at that point.
Then there was the kind ICU nurse who searched high and low to find me a pair of earplugs so I could run silent, run deep; and Cindy, an old-school night nurse who settled each of her patients down for the evening with a soothing, lotion-lubed back rub; and Meaghan, my final day nurse who moved heaven and earth to get me discharged on the Sunday following my procedure.
Throughout the experience, I couldn’t have managed without the help of Terry and our daughter Ursula (who was able to take time off to help her mother). By keeping my spirits up while at the Institute and providing post-release care, they made a less-than-fun experience bearable. I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank all those who visited me in the hospital and at home and sent cards and e-mails expressing good wishes for a speedy recovery. Like it or not, you may have got what you wished for.
Two more DRA Hits!
With Ben William’s help, I’ve put together a quick report on the two Dunvegan Recreation events I missed while away. The first is the March Break movie matinee. The animated feature — Minions — turned out to be a huge hit, delighting the scores of kids in attendance and their parents too. In the process, the crowd went through tons of popcorn and drinks. “Some very responsible kids even opted for juice instead of pop,” reported Ben.
When the DRA started movie matinees for families a number of years ago, it adopted a practice that Maxville Recreation was using with great success: a draw for a DVD of the movie being shown. The lucky tyke who got to take home his very own copy of Minions was Spencer Barton, son of Brittany Barton of Dunvegan. There were plenty of requests to repeat the event again next year.
I had also heard through the muffled grapevine that the DRA’s 2016 Crokinole tournament was fantastic. And Ben told me that I had heard right. “We had a record number of people show up,” says Ben. “About 45 for the pizza supper that was organized by Sean Burgess and 36 people for the tournament.”
Once the pizza had been devoured, everyone got to visit with friends and neighbours while volunteers Caleb Raymond and his friend Jaden hurriedly set up the tables, chairs and crokinole boards for the tournament. After an intensive series of matches, Tyler Pritchard from Dunvegan West emerged as the winner of the new “DRA Crokinole Champion” trophy that Laurie Maus made for the event. Second place went to Shelley Mullin, and third place was awarded to Brianna Spuehler.
But the evening included much more than just cutthroat crokinole play. When the taffy was ready, everyone put down their buttons and dug into some delicious maple taffy on snow… thanks to the efforts of Kim Raymond, Vivian Franklin, Brianna Spuehler and Karine Spuehler. Folk musician, Steve Merritt, was also on hand again this year to play his mandolin, guitar and harmonica throughout the evening. “Once again, Steve brought his wooden dancing man, which damn near hypnotizes the kids,” Ben tells me. The extremely successful evening ended with the distributing of ‘chair’ prizes to the eight lucky people who had a number taped under their seat.
Euchre Meal & Deal
Believe it or not, this coming Friday, April 15th is euchre time again… and I hope it’s as successful as last month’s event. I suspected we might be in for a bumper crop of players when former Dunveganite, Donald Clark drove up from Cornwall with a friend to be first in line. After a two-month hiatus, folks who enjoy our friendly, low-stress brand of euchre (and a great lunch, to boot) came out of the woodwork in droves. So much so, Terry and I had to make more sandwiches for the after-game snack.
Ann Stewart, Linda Burgess and I hope you’ll join us this week for the April Euchre Luncheon. Admission is only $5 and includes a buffet lunch of homemade sandwiches and sweets by Sandra Daigle. A 50/50 draw is also part of the fun. Held in the DRA Hall at 19053 County Road 24, the event starts at 12:00 noon and wraps up around 3:30 PM. Everybody is welcome to join us.
GPM Annual General Meeting & more
While I’ve been lazing around hospital wards, our local Glengarry Pioneer Museum has started preparing for a new crop of visitors and news of their activities has been piling up on my desk.
First and foremost, is the Potluck Supper & Annual General Meeting that will take place this coming Friday evening, April 15th at the DRA Hall, 19053 County Road 24. The evening will feature the presentation of a Volunteer Award to the Twistle Guild of Glengarry for its over 30 years of volunteer contributions to the museum.
The evening will start at 6:00 PM with a potluck supper; so don’t forget to bring a main dish, salad or dessert. Once coffee has been served, curator Jennifer Black will report on the previous year’s activities and offer a preview of what’s in store for the coming season. The meeting will conclude with a short business meeting to approve the budget for 2016 and to elect directors to sit on the museum’s Board. For more information, visit the Glengarry Pioneer Museum web site at www.GlengarryPioneerMusesum.ca.
The very next day, Saturday, April 16th, the museum will be holding its annual Spring Cleaning Day from 9:30 AM to 12 noon. Jennifer tells me that the usual cast of characters has already signed up to help sweep away the dust of winter and set-up some of the artifacts in preparation for museum’s opening in May. However, she stressed that more volunteers are still needed. So, if you (and family and friends) have a few hours to spare, please give her a call at 613-527-5230. Not only will you have the satisfaction of helping to preserve this local treasure, you’ll also be served a free lunch. How’s that for a great deal?
Last, but in no way least, the museum is now accepting applications for seasonal student employment opportunities that will start as early as mid-May. If you know of a student who might be interested, tell them to check the museum’s web site for all the details.
Breakfast at the Kirk
To conclude this week’s column, I wanted to remind everyone that the Kenyon Presbyterian Church Women’s Association will be hosting the 5th annual Spring Breakfast event this coming Saturday, April 16th from 8:00 to 10:00 AM. The event will take place in the Kenyon Presbyterian Church Hall just north of the Dunvegan crossroads on County Road 30. There’s plenty of free parking across the road.
In concert with the “Men of Kenyon Congregation”, volunteers from the Women’s Association will serve up a hearty breakfast buffet of fluffy scrambled eggs, crisp bacon, succulent sausages, hot hash browns, baked beans, buttered toast, fresh fruit, yogurt, chilled fruit juices and hot coffee and tea. The price is only $8.00 for adults and $5.00 for children aged 5 to 12. (Kids under 5 are free; take-outs are available.) And the proceeds will go to a good cause: on-going maintenance of the church. So please urge family and friends to attend this important fundraiser.
Not a member of the Dunvegan church… or any church, for that matter? No problem. This is an “open door” event. The Kenyon Women’s Association hopes that Glengarrians from far and wide will come and enjoy Dunvegan’s fifth Spring Breakfast at the Kirk.
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