Back from Moose Factory

Went up to Moose Factory for John Delaney's funeral. Left here on Thursday with Rose Anne, met up with Cecil and Jean Pierre in Ottawa and we took Cecil's car to Cochrane. We stayed overnight in New Liskard, and continued on to Cochrane the next morning. Took the train at 11:15 in Cochrane and arrived in Moosonee at about 5:30pm.

We heard that ski-doo taxis were going across so we took those. There was a lot of water on the ice and I was in shoes, sitting behind the driver. Rose Anne and Jean Pierre were in the sled behind us. Cecil waited with Eli Chilton to take another taxi. I had to keep lifting up my feet so they wouldn't get wet. We kept joking about going through the ice and drowning but that didn't happen obviously.

Found out on the other side that the family service for John was in half an hour so we took a regular taxi to Greta's to leave our luggage and hopped back in with Greta and her daughter to go back up to the school. The service and funeral were to be in the Ministik School gym, where John spent so many hours with many of us. (Because there wouldn't be enough room in the church and because it seemed appropriate.)

There were a couple of emotional minutes for me there as I entered the gym and saw a bunch of pictures and momentos and then I was ok.

The service was a bit of prayer and singing but mostly just sharing about what John meant to us. I went up and said a few words, but kept it short. We were then invited to Christina's house where he was being exposed, to say goodbye.

We hadn't eaten yet and it was quite late already, but they had things to eat, so we ate a bit there, and then went back to Greta's.

Saturday at 11:00 was the funeral, followed by a potluck dinner. We hadn't had time or opportunity to make anything so we just brought a case of coke. But there was a lot to eat. We ended up up Christina and Victor's that night too, and had some soup there, we ended up not eating a lot at Greta's, besides breakfast. Rose anne, Jean Pierre and I a good chat with Victor and Christina while we were there.

Sunday, I went to the Anglican service with Greta and Desiree in what used to be our Catholic Church. My dad was the deacon here. It was sold to the Anglican Church because there just weren't any Catholics attending. There are very few Catholics on the island, most are Anglican. It was strange to see the church so full, and the confessionals ripped out (to make more room I imagine, not just to make it less Catholic, because the stand for holy water was still there). I walked around the island that afternoon, with Greta and Desiree and MAN WAS IT COLD!!! I was wearing 3 sweaters and my coat and I was still cold!!! The wind goes right through that coat. We met up with Jean Pierre at Nellie Fairies' and I went up for a dinner at the Parish Hall with them and Greta went home with Desiree. It was a turkey dinner, to raise funds for the vestry. Good turkey!! We met up with Cecil and Daisy Turner there. Cecil, Jean Pierre and I went to play volleyball with other former leaders at Ministik afterwards, it was a lot of fun, very recreational, but fun.

Monday was very slow, we stayed home almost all day Rose Anne and I, with Greta, Jean Pierre went out to meet someone, then came back and we went to the complex to meet Eli before going to Christina and Victor's for a dinner there.

Tuesday, Rob Fairies picked Cecil and then the rest of us up and took us to the helicopter pad to take the helicopter across. That was fun, hadn't taken a helicopter since spring of 1990. But it wasn't LONG enough!!! We got to the train at about 8:00, an hour before it departed. We ended up sitting in the dining car for most of the trip back chatting with different people who were also heading back home after the funeral. From Cochrane we drove all the way to Ottawa, and then Rose Anne and I drove to St-Jean. We arrived just before 2:30 am. Needless to say we were feeling pretty sleep-deprived by then,... I still have not recovered. I need my sleep!!!

Today is Thursday. In about 20 minutes I will be taking Dominic to see the pediatrician because another doctor signaled a heart irregularity while checking him for an earache on Monday.

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