Relax, have a home brew

Current Mood: indescribable

Aug 18 1922, John Arthur Coulsey was born in Vawn, SK. We all know him as Jack. Vawn was, and still is, a small prairie town, midway between Lloydminster and North Battleford; just east of the border with Alberta.

At about 4 years of age, Jack was to become an Uncle. He watched his mom knitting a baby shirt. He was told that, when the baby came that would wear the shirt, he would be an Uncle. He pondered a bit and said "Uncle to a shirt?" That name stuck; Jack’s brother-in law, Bill, even called him "Uncle to a shirt" on occasion.

When Jack was only 7, The Great Depression began and it dominated world economics until the War began. They were difficult years; a drought and economic recession. 1929 – 1941.

Jack was only 17 when the Second World War began: Sept 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. Canada was over-seas as early as 1941 in the Pacific and the siege of Hong Kong and we remained at war until to Sept 2, 1945 when Japan finally surrendered.

Jack enlisted in the Canadian Military on June 18 1942 just shy of the age of 20. He achieved the rank of corporal. He served in Canada and he received the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal. He served in stations like Camp Borden, ON, a 20,000 acre base that played an important role during WWII in the training of more than 200,000 soldiers who passed through the camp. While there, his leaves seemed to entail trips to Buffalo NY to find “trouble.” He was discharged by demobilization, nine months after the war ended, on May 9 1946. Jack wasn’t yet 24.

Jack struck some people, at least in later years, as overly cautious and shy; no driving in snow; avoided more than 3 people at dinner. Any excuse to avoid being too social or in crowds. I’m just not sure why everyone blushes talking about the trips to Buffalo.

He lived in what is now Burnaby where he met, courted, and eventually proposed to Joan Gerrard at his sister Sybil’s house. There were a few friends there and it was very traditional; down on one knee, the whole post card scene.

Jack was 27 when, on July 22 1950, they were married at Joan’s Parent’s home in Lockdale, (now part of Burnaby). As fancy as it gets, complete with music piped out the bathroom window. Lots of friends and family were there. Jack, Joan's father Harry, and her brother, John, got stinking drunk.

They honeymooned in Penticton at some classy digs that even threw in bedbugs. It was an interesting beginning to what Joan says were a great 54 years and she would not trade them for the world.

Jack was 28 when Dave was born June 21, 1951. Dave grew up mostly in Port Moody. Things were quiet and predictable. The family also lived in Burnaby, New West, and Port Moody. They eventually moved to Chilliwack.

Employment – Jack was a postman, a delivery driver for with a dry cleaner, worked in a service station, and owned service station. After the move to Chilliwack, he worked at CFB Chilliwack in stores from 1973-85.

Dave was married Oct 24, 1978 and suddenly, Jack had a second child. Jack and Joan were actually introduced to Bev once before the wedding. But it was only once, I think.

Jack’s 1st grandchild, Michelle, was born Apr 27, 1979 and Jack had his second “infant.” It took him 6 months before he’d hold her because, “Oh no, that’s a baby; they break.” And on the day he finally held her, her name was Chicken. It still is.

That is a major theme of the people jack cared for; Jack had nick names for them.

• His wife, Joan - Charlie horse


• Granddaughter, Michelle - Chicken


• Granddaughter, Jackie was papa’s Jack


• Granddaughter, Bonnie - Bunnie rabbit.


• Jack’s sister Grace - Albert.


• His sister-in-law, Sybil - Billy


• Sybil’s hubby, Ted – Fudder


• Dave and Bev, early on, while Dave had a full beard and Bev was expecting Michelle, the name was Ruff and Puff.


• Always called children "critters" (i.e., “Now, who is this little critter?” he'd ask).

The grand kids called him papa, except when Bunnie Rabbit called him Jack Rabbit. They fought to be near him, to break their New Years’ cracker with him, and to compete to see who could sit next to him at dinner. If there was a reason for bows or ribbons, they ended up on Jacks head. Jack had a crowd he liked being in the middle of.

Jack liked to give weird gifts. Bob Conners, Jack’s nephew, recalls a pet rock they hunted down and domesticated. Its mostly house trained, at least. Bonnie Coulsey, Jack’s granddaughter, points at her 16th birthday. He gave her a 3 foot large blow up octopus sprinkler. She still has it at 22. Even odder was when Jack called and asked if she wanted his cocks. They are actually rooster placemats, but he didn't tell her that part.

Jack was reliable. Punctual. Bob, Jacks nephew, recounted how Jack drove to and from the cancer clinic when he needed to go. After driving and waiting, he says, “Jack even made sure I got fed before I went home.”

Retirement came in 1985 at the age of 63. A quiet life near his son, the family. Frequent visits and letting the grandkids come for the night. Imagine how the grand kids saw it: the WHOLE night with your favorite people and no competition. No one ever refused a sleep over invite.

Jack was quiet, confident, remarkably calm, straight forward and honest. He could make you feel safer with just a wink and a bit of a smile. He could call you names and make you feel better. He’d give you something that no one else would even consider, he’d make a dirty joke, and they’d be treasured.

Canada is now 137 years old; we’ve seen our 21st Prime Minister. We’ve been free of war for almost 60 years. None of our recessions have compared with the 30’s.

Jack Coulsey, husband, father, papa, and friend, left us October 31, 2004 at the age of 82. He is missed. He will continue to be missed.

French Woman, 120, Outlives Man Who Paid to Inherit

PARIS (AP) Andre-Francois Raffray thought he had a great deal 30 years ago: He would pay a 90-year-old woman $500 a month until she died, then move into her grand apartment in a town Vincent van Gogh once roamed.

But this Christmas, Raffray died at age 77, having forked over $184,000 for an apartment he never got to live in.

On the same day, Jeanne Calment, now the world's oldest person at 120, dined on foie gras, duck thighs, cheese and chocolate cake at her nursing home near the sought-after apartment in Arles, northwest of Marseilles in the south of France.

She need not worry about losing income. Although the amount Raffray already paid is more than twice the apartment's current market value, his widow is obligated to keep sending that monthly check. If Mrs. Calment outlives her, too, then the Raffray children and grandchildren will have to pay.

"In life, one sometimes makes bad deals," Mrs. Calment said on her birthday last Feb. 21.

Buying apartments "en viager," or "for life," is common in France. The elderly owner gets to enjoy a monthly income from the buyer, who gambles on getting a real estate bargain provided the owner drops dead in due time.

Upon the owner's death, the buyer inherits the apartment, regardless of how much was paid.

Mrs. Calment, who has lived through the administrations of 17 French presidents, has proven the nightmare of all those who buy real estate "en viager."

Mrs. Calment, physically active all her life, rode a bicycle up to age 100 and until 1985 occupied the several large rooms of her apartment on the second floor of a classic old Provencal building in the center of Arles, where Raffray was her notary public. She moved that year into a nursing home that is now named after her.

She survived her husband, her daughter and her grandson, who died in a car crash, and has no direct descendants.

Mrs. Calment seemed to offer some consolation to the Raffrays when, asked on her last birthday for her vision of the future, she replied: "Very brief."

Born in Arles in 1875, Mrs. Calment recalls working in her father's shop at age 14 and selling colored pencils and canvases to Van Gogh, the Dutch impressionist who depicted Arles in several of his vibrant paintings.

On Oct. 18, the Guinness Book of Records officially listed her as the world's oldest person able to authenticate her age with official records, mostly civil and religious documents.

Current Mood: good

I was married by a judge.
I should have asked for a jury.
~Groucho Marx

My wife has a slight impediment in her speech.
Every now and then she stops to breathe.
~Jimmy Durante

What would men be without women?
Scarce, sir .. mighty scarce.
~Mark Twain

By all means, marry.
If you get a good wife, you'll become happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.
~Socrates

My luck is so bad that if I bought a cemetery, people would stop dying.
~Ed Furgol

Money can't buy you happiness, but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery.
~Spike Milligan

What's the use of happiness? It can't buy you money.
~Henny Youngman

I am opposed to millionaires... but it would be dangerous to offer me the position.
~Mark Twain

Zymurgy

Current Mood: indifferent

Your Q Score is: 9

The Q score ideally should be as small as possible, indicating maximum agreement among elements. However, even a tiny Q score may not mean optimal functioning, since all four elements may in fact be relatively undeveloped.

Your Primary Mythical Creature

Air Types

The main strength of the Air types is intellect. The second element indicates the most probable focus for this intellectual activity.

Your Shadow Creature
Earth Types

All the Earth types have problems relating to productivity and stability. The weakest element indicates the main focus of these problems.

Wodwose Earth and Fire This shadow is beset by inertia and a feeling of hopelessness and stagnation. They are prone to depression linked to apparently insuperable odds. They exhibit an attitude of defeat that is betrayed by their fatalism and pessimism. They often find themselves trapped in a rut of grinding routine. They have no energy or sense of direction. They often alienate others because of their negativity and narrow outlook and because they feel anger and resentment toward them. Passive aggression is used to good effect. They are self-neglectful of their physical needs although they may binge on unhealthy foods and substances. The biggest obstacle of weak Fire is to overcome anger and aggression; the biggest obstacle of weak Earth is to overcome self-centeredness and greed.