MY DAD's SIDE OF THE FAMILY - Anna & Everett Boutilier of Boutilier's Island, Mushaboom on Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore

Like my Mom, my Dad grew up on Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore on a small island known formally as Malagash but also known informally as "Boutiliers' Island"... Although my Mom's family lived close to the ocean, my Dad grew up in a home with direct access to the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.  Where Mom's family was supported mostly through work in the forest and the fields, Dad's family was supported by work on and in the water through fishing as well as work at the local mill.  The photo above shows my Dad's parents - Anna & Everett Boutilier on their wedding day.  Incredibly enough, my Dad's parents and my Mom's parents were both married at the same church - Trinity Church in Halifax.

My Mom's side of my living quilt history was relatively easy to write.  My Mom is alive & well, so if I had questions or clarifications I could just go to her & ask.  My Dad died in 2008.  In ways it seems like yesterday and in other ways it seems like a zillion years ago...This creates a less direct route for obtaining family historical information.  As anyone who loses a loved one comes to know, there is always a wish for more quality time together.  I so wish I had more time with Dad - more time in the forest on the pathways he loved, more time in the workshop tinkering on the projects he loved, more time in the kitchen, enjoying the food and drink we enjoyed as a family together... Even though I am a scribe and I wrote down many, many stories of our family, there are so many stories I wish I had written down when I heard them tell them... more of the lessons he shared in his tacit knowledge of tools & tides & trees & nature & fixing just about anything.  I take a deep breath and pause, then slowly let it out... I remind myself to focus on all of the good times we shared, and how incredibly lucky I was to have him in my life, my husband's life and our children's lives...not to mention our close extended network of family & friends, each of whom knew Dad a different way than me.  My Dad was not a technically trained teacher, but his experiential lessons live on in the hearts & minds of those who valued the same things that he did - quality time with family, wherever it happened to be... 

Interestingly enough, when my sister and I were growing up, because we were lucky enough to have three grandmothers close by, we started distinguish our Grandmothers by their last names "Nannie Eisan (which I long pronounced) " Nannie Icing"  was my Great Grandmother Louisa Eisan... "Nana Stevens" was my Mom's mother Ruth Stevens & Nannie Boutilier was my Dad's mother Anna Boutilier.  Much later, my husband's only living Grandmother was introduced to me by the name "Grandma Greenfield"... However, this last name system changed once my husband and I had children of our own.  We ended up switching to first name designations for Grandmothers because the kids were lucky to have FIVE (5) grandmothers (and one grandfather) in their lives: Grandma Ina (my husband's Grandmother), Nana Ruth & Nannie Anna (my two Grandmothers) as well as Nana Brenda (my Mom) and Grandma Pauline (Mike's Mom) - My Dad Jim was the only Grandfather the kids ever knew as my husband's Dad died much too early, before we had children in our lives......

As I write out all of these deep family connections - mapping the lines of connection for my daughters - I say a silent prayer of thanks and appreciation for having such a vast network of extended family members in our lives.  I have learned, and continue to learn, from all of you...

Getting back to the quilts... On my Dad's side of the family I do not distinctly remember any particular patchwork quilts, although I imagine there must have been some as the historical times required hand-making household fabric items, clothes and bedding and certainly no fabric scraps or pieces of string - no matter how short - were ever wasted :).  If anyone knows the stories of any of the quilts, or other handmade articles from Dad's side of the family - the Boutiliers of the Eastern Shore, please do let me know.  In the meantime, you might be able to help settle a family debate:  The photo below shows and below show one of the prized family boats - this one belonging to my Dad's mother's father, James Willy Boutilier  - the relative for whom my father James was named (along with his own father, Everett)... Did the family boat of Nannie Anna's father (lovingly dubbed the "Greennose") get the Greennose name because the boat body itself was painted green (what I believe to be true) or because the sails were green (what my Mom believes to be true...).  I have been working on a series of stories about the Greennose - the lesser known Eastern Shore cousin to the more famous Schooner from Nova Scotia's better known & more frequently traveled South Shore - the Bluenose...  I would love to hear more of the stories of the patchwork items from Dad's side of the family...  Until then, the photo of the family boat is a fitting way to close...
S( : 8 : ) 3...