Sadie

I met Andee Pelan when we both worked as camping guides for Midnight Sun. I would look forward to when our vans would cross paths in Jasper and we'd convince our clients to go out on the town so that we could drink together. A couple years later I got to know her better when I lived in Port McNeil for a summer and she ran a hostel just a ferry ride away in one of my favourite towns, Alert Bay. I spent many great hours with her and Moo (her fantastic, though smelly, Saint-Bernard-partner-in-life), on the beach, offroading in the van, and being tipsy while dancing along to the local harmonica legend at the Alert Bay music festival.

Now, you may not realize this, but I suck at communication and keeping in contact with friends that move outside my field of vision. Lucky for me, Andee understands this and has still kept me on her list for group email updates. Also lucky for me, and the many cc'd others, she's a fantastic writer who sees humor in most situations, so said group emails are a welcome sight in my inbox.

Recently her life took a different turn and several months ago she gave premature birth to Sadie Sioux (she was just under 4 lbs) .

Andee's explanation of the name selection:

"As mentioned before, Sadie is my great grandmother's name on my mum's side. Sioux was chosen for a few reasons: 1. both of Geri's great grandmother's were native Canadians... and while we're pretty sure that they were more likely Iroquois and not Sioux indian, Sadie Iroquois just doesn't have the same ring to it. 2. I was born in northern Ontario in Sioux Lookout. 3. After my honorary sister (dubbed bestest friend in Grade 6) Sue Bennett, who often goes by the nickname Siouxsie (after the very-cool-especially-for-the-80's band Siouxsie and the Banshees). 4. It makes for good song rhyming... a lot of words rhyme with Sioux (pronounced Soo, for my ESL friends)... what rhymes with Iroquois?... enema?, blah blah blah? mother-in-law?"

Anyways, the long short rollercosater of a story is that Sadie's now had 5 surgeries already, including the most recent one to stabilize her while she waits for a heart donor. But with me being in BC and them in Ontario, I can do little more than think good thoughts and wish I could do more. Frozen casseroles don't travel by mail very well.

So,
Sadie Sioux, my thoughts are with you.

(see Andee, you did name her well for rhyming!)