A day for mothers

Today was Mother's Day in Canada and it was a busy one for me.  Instead of lying in bed, being pampered, getting breakfast in bed and all that fun stuff, I was up and about, taking my normal round of medications, making myself french toast with cinnamon spread (yum) and getting ready for work.  I'm not complaining -- I love my job at O'Keefe Ranch.  And my 3 men were off to work at the mill an hour before I had to wake up for my first medication, so I didn't have to do anything for them.

The day was overcast and threatened us with grey clouds and little spits of raindrops.  Between 10 and 11 am, I'm not sure that we were hopeful of a busy day, but we were ready for the guests to arrive.  The first mansion tour was at 11 am, and I had the next tour at 12 noon.  After that, there were fully packed tours (15-20 people) every half hour until the last one at 4:30 pm.  I had my bite of lunch and then went to help out at the admissions desk ... people were lined up from the desk to the door  for an hour or so!  I folded maps, helped people pay for coffee and pottery purchases, and tried to be helpful without being underfoot.  What an amazing rush of people!  Of course, it helped that mothers, grandmothers, and preschoolers got in free!!

My favorite part of the day is giving tours of the mansion, and it was fun to reflect on the mothers who had been part of the O'Keefe story.  From Cornelius O'Keefe's mother in Ontario, who said goodbye to her adventurous son as he left to seek his fortune on the BC goldfields, to Alapetsa who bore his first two children, Mary Ann who joined him in pioneering the cattle ranch and giving birth to nine children, and Elizabeth who married Cornelius after Mary Ann's death and gave him another six children ... then on to Betty who married Cornelius and Elizabeth's son Tierney, raised 5 children with him, and had the bold and wonderful idea of turning the ranch and its story into a public historic attraction -- thank you ladies!

Everyone seemed happy today, despite the grey skies ... the kids were enjoying the animals (especially the new lambs) and their trips to the general store for candy.  I loved watching a couple little kids swaying to the music of the Treble Tones on the steps of the gazebo.  I had fun cruising the vendors booths and made a few purchases for upcoming events.  We had so many faithful volunteers manning (and womanning) the activities for children ... painting birdhouses, colouring, making beaded bracelets, taking Mother's Day photos ... the list goes on.  Wagon tours and stagecoach rides were a big attraction too.  And then, suddenly the day was done and we were taking down everything that had been put up and saying goodbye to our guests.

Home again, home again, jiggedy jig.  I stopped at Safeway and bought supper ... 2/3 of my children were home and my husband arrived while we were consuming the barbecued chicken and fixings.  I received a lovely PVC quilting floor frame for my Mother's Day gift (yes, I had hinted very loudly for it, some weeks ago, but had no idea that the hint had been taken!)  I'm not sure when I'll have time to use it (probably not until the fall of this year, with all the other things I have to get to and through).  But it is very nice and I am going to enjoy it for years!

Tired feet.  Wakeful brain.  Maybe if I soak my feet ... or my head (?) ... I'll settle down.  Maybe not.