Dear Shelley - I am writing to say ‎good-bye. I can't believe you are gone. I'm sorry I can't be at your service today. I want you to know that I will miss you.‎ You were an integral part of my childhood. I will always remember the hours we spent talking about boys, listening to pop music and making mixed tapes from the radio, taking road-trips in the summer, body-surfing the waves at Sauble Beach, skating on the outdoor rink, tobogganing (without helmets), drinking tea and eating cookies at Grandma's house on Sunday afternoons, riding bikes, and dreaming about the infinite possibilities of what we were going to spend our money on when we got our first part-time jobs. Remember, minimum wage in 1985 was $3.15 - we thought we were rich!! I found a picture ‎of us this week. The boy in the photo is Chris Darechuck when he is about two years old. I love this picture :-) As you can see, we are celebrating Oktoberfest. Our moms were probably drinking Blue Light in stubby bottles and we probably snuck a couple of cans of pop assuming no one noticed. We spent many holidays together laughing ourselves silly over something Aunt Sheila said or watching our moms and aunts make their moves to the Chicken Dance. ‎ Now, as women, it's fun to reflect on all the memories and see many of the same patterns in our own children. The clothes are different, the music is weirder, and the Chicken Dance will outlive us all. Goodbye my friend, cousin, sister. Be well. Love, Nan‎