Last week I traveled to Toronto to celebrate the 90th birthday of my dear, sweet Aunt Yvonne.
What a joyful experience it was!
I am close to Yvonne and I enjoy visiting with her whenever I can, usually once a year. She and my cousin Marie even came to see us in France last year. Yvonne had never been to France before and she figured, well, now or …
L-R: Marie, René and Yvonne
I was super excited to be with Yvonne and her children—all 11 of them! Yvonne and Uncle Gene, who sadly passed away in 2014, have 43 grandchildren, and many great-grandchildren continue the family line. What a fulfilled life!
Many of the Power clan gathered on the golf course
Yvonne is one of the strongest women I have ever met.
She was born in 1930, grew up during the Great Depression, and watched the world change dramatically during her life. She gave birth to and raised 11 children, and after seeing a century almost all the way through, celebrated her 90th birthday with 150 people, danced until 2 a.m., THEN went to the after-party party at the local hamburger joint. That MUST make a person feel pretty darn good! Yvonne has undoubtedly known plenty of sadness in such a long life, but boy, does she know how to enjoy her life and live it to the fullest. The event space has already been booked for 2030 to celebrate her 100th birthday! Yvonne golfs, plays badminton, and practices yoga. She tells me stories about her brother—my dad—and the rest of the extended family that I would never know otherwise. And she helps guide me to be a better person.
Living the life she has takes a great deal of resiliency, as life constantly presents us all with unexpected challenges.
But the rewards of the way she has lived her life are so great, her attitude towards life is so open and positive, and her family has such unmistakable love has for each other that it is so incredibly inspiring to me. She is such a centered human being and a fantastic role model for the way I want to live my life. It is a joy to spend time with Aunt Yvonne. I love her very much, and I look forward to many, many more opportunities to share our lives together in the future.
Aunt Yvonne with a version of herself at age 17 - Isn't she beautiful? . . . . .
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ACT NOW!
My silk painting workshop is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, February 8th and 9th
at the KA Artist shop in Athens, GA.
As of this writing, there are only 2 seats left.
You can find more information and sign up at the KA Artist Shop.
The format of the class has changed to offer you more time to wok with silk and explore your creative ideas.
Looking for a gift for a loved one or for yourself?
My online shop is open 24 hours a day and is awaiting your visit at: reneshoemaker.com/shop
I truly hope that the beginning of 2020 has been good to you, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
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and leave a message below to send me questions, comments and new ideas.
I love hearing from you!
A bouquet of beautiful white flowers celebrating Yvonne's 90th birthday.