L'Arche Saint John celebrating at the 10th Anniversary Dinner.
Gray Gillies, an Assistant from L’Arche Saint John, has helped me with healthy choices, been with me to Toronto for the last Autism Symposium, has been with me for a few vacations, and was with me for most celebrations. She and I cook together sometimes and she took part in the concert at Imperial Theatre and she was with us for 50 Fest. She was with us for the Growth ad Goals Meeting on Tuesday, May 26, 2015. She and I were together on my first Exchange to Antigonish and I shopped at Superstore with listening stations, visited other houses, and attended mass at St. Ninian’s Cathedral, on the campus of St. F. X. A future wish is, to honor Gram, since most of my family, except for me, has been to a Blue Jays home game, is that she and I go to Toronto to catch a home game with my Blue Jays water bottle and a poster that reads L’Arche Saint John loves the Blue Jays so if a Sports Net camera shows us L’Arche friends and family can see us, then we’d get worldwide publicity. And maybe we can stay in Royal York or Gamble House again. And maybe I could get my water bottle autographed by Jays past and present and a Blue Jays book about their present and past players and their past successes.
Gray at a listening station
Jocelyn Worster, the Community Leader, also has helped me with healthy choices, has been with me for Atlanta 2012 and 50 Fest and a few Vacations, and has been to things like Epiphany Concerts, the recent Imperial Theatre concert, the recent 10th Anniversary Dinner at KV Church, AGMs, and other L’Arche Atlantic Region celebrations, like 25th and 30th Anniversaries. She was at our Growth and Goals Meeting on May 26th.
Victoria Woods, who prefers to be called Vic, was with us for McKim-Mas, and she and I have been good shopping friends together. She was with us for the 10th Anniversary Supper at KV Church and in fall took part in our number in the concert at Imperial Theatre, which was Hakuna Matata from The Lion King. She and I cook together sometimes. She joined us for the Growth and Goals Meeting on May 26th.
Maren (I don’t know how to spell her last name) is one of many of our Assistants from Germany, and she and I also have shopped together and she and I are usually the duo who goes to the Loch Lomond Villa on most Fridays if it is Gray’s Day or Weekend Away or Vacation. She was with us for the recent 10th Anniversary Supper at KV Church. She and I cook sometimes. Maren takes some of us to Zumba on some Wednesdays.
Brandon Lanteigne and I have shopped together, been to a Sea Dogs game with Stephane, have been to O’Leary’s together, have been to special things like Christmas parties and art days, to church together, and shared a room at the Chocolate Lake Hotel in Halifax for 50 Fest. He was with us for the recent 10th Anniversary Supper. He took part in singing Hakuna Matata from The Lion King for the concert at Imperial Theatre and he was at The Sound of Music at Imperial Theatre and Anne of Green Gables at St. Malachy’s Memorial High School with us. He takes some of us to Zumba on Mondays, though he sits it out and works on his computer.
Debbie Turnbull and I have been on most Vacations together, summer camps at Hampton Bible Camp, 50 Fest, the concert at Imperial Theatre, Good Shepherd Church, Epiphany Concerts, Faith and Sharing Retreats, the recent 10th Anniversary Supper at KV Church, The Sound of Music at Imperial Theatre, and Anne of Green Gables at St. Mac’s High School. Years back she joined Gray and me for Fiddler on the Roof at Harbour View High School. She is in the In Key Choir at Key Industries with me and joins me for Zumba classes on Mondays and some Wednesdays.
Kristina Cooper, though she cannot speak, has ways to communicate. When we ask her questions, when she raises her eyebrows, that means yes or that she is happy or excited about something coming up or she is looking forward to. She has movies in her room that I like. She has been with me for some vacations, most of the ones where Janet Christy was with us, and she was at 50 Fest and all AGM’s.
Krista Simmons has almost the same taste in movies and music I do. We both like the movies Frozen, High School Musical, Camp Rock, Princess Protection Program, and any movie, as long as there is no nudity or cuss words. She likes country and Disney music, though she likes some of the music they play at Zumba classes we dance to. She goes to Camp Rotary in summer.
Stephane Bastarache, originally from Bouctouche, can play guitar and sing hymns, but he cannot play chords, so he sings and goes strum strum strum... on open notes with no fingers. He prays for priests, the Saint John area bishop, Raise up an Army, his KI and prayer meeting friends, and any problems in the news or with his family and friends. He plays Wii Bowling on certain days. He also goes to Hampton Bible Camp with me in summer and winter. He and I have been to hockey and basketball games together. We go to and watch movies together. He is also a member of Key Industries’ In Key Choir.
Justine (I forgot her last name), from Kenya, taught us some Swahili, like Karibu means “Welcome”. She and I traveled on Community Exchange to Antigonish close to Halloween not last October, but the October before, and we went to a Halloween Dance, shopped at Wal-mart where I bought Home Alone 2, visited other houses, and went to a couple beaches together. Last summer she joined us for Community Vacation, also in Antoginish, and we got a tour of St. F. X., where Jennifer, Brian, Dad, and Mom, all graduated from University and I had seen their varsity basketball team play at Halifax Metro Centre various times, 3 times with my Mom, once with Janet Christy, and once with Blake Cameron before I moved out of their house and later lost Molly and later got Ella and later moved into L’Arche Saint John. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, she moved back to Kenya and I wish she’d come back.
Janet Christy, from Gujarat, India, has been with us for Community Vacations, stepped in as House Leader after Marilyn Moore retired, helped me make healthy choices, and taught us her language, which is in fact called Gujarati. For example, Mito ane Marie, means “salt and pepper”. Supratri means in fact “good night.” Kem Chho and Mazama means “Hello” and “How are you doing?” Oujo (spelt correctly, Janet?) means “goodbye”. When she was with us for vacation, the songs she chose for the mix CD, dubbed “Babe Mix”, were both funny and catchy.
Tiago Ortega, (sorry High School Musical and Dirty Dancing fans, no relation to Kenny the choreographer) from Toronto, was with us for 2 short times: Once for summer, and once for 2 Christmases seasons ago. He joined us for Vacation in Antigonish 2 summers ago where we visited other houses and went to beaches where I saw a couple of Border Collies playing Frisbee with their handler, was at Mama George’s Restaurant with us on Canada Day which was the first time I tried clams, and took me shopping before McKim-Mas by bus so I could get a Sony Dream Machine clock radio with 7 time zones and Auto DST option and to buy a DVD. Some of his favorite movies, also some of mine, included Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Tommy Boy.
Sophia (I forget her last name), from Germany, was with us for Sea Dogs games, Vacation, McKim-Mas, Epiphany Concerts, movie nights, and snow days.
Silvana Springer (sorry comedy fans, no relation to Jerry, right?) is also from Germany. The adventures together for us included my first curling match, last summer’s vacation, Epiphany concerts, and McKim-Mas.
Anna Bingel, also from Germany, took me and Krista a few times to my first Zumba classes, joined us for the Vacation in Cape Breton, was with us for McKim-Mas and Epiphany Concert, and loved Bob Marley and Eva Cassidy. She loved to sing Someone like You by Adele, though sometimes she could not sing the high C# originally sung in the chorus.
Andreanne Grondin, from Quebec, had a friend/relative who took us to the Hilton room he was staying at and I got to see Alpine Country Star in progress on the boardwalk from the 10th floor room and watch the LG flat screen. She also joined us for Community Vacation in Cape Breton.