Memories

This is how I wish to remember my Grampie:

This photo was taken a few years ago but this is him, at what I guess is Christmas dinner, a plate full, smile on his face and free-flowing wine.

Those are bottles of homemade wine, made by his very hands. He was a fabulous wine maker, it was something he greatly enjoyed. Among other things, it was what he was known for in the community. You name it he's probably made a wine of out it: strawberry, blueberry, cranberry, currant, dandelion...the list goes on.

He, in his younger years, dabbled in carving wooden ducks. He also enjoyed reading and almost always had a puzzle in the works. He enjoyed time with friends, usually playing cribbage, or sitting playing guitar with some of the men in the community. By trade he was a butcher.

Beyond all that, and more importantly, he was a father, a grandfather, great grandfather, brother and uncle. The father t0 3 boys and 3 girls, grandfather to 11, great grandfather to 5. Sadly, he was predeceased by one of his sons many years ago. I can only hope that he and my uncle are sitting together by a fire, working on a puzzle, with plentiful wine.