Page 71 - A Visit With Gertie Boutilier Turnbull

ISSUE : Issue 50

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1989/1/1

Although I do my work around here. I try to keep things.... And I like to be clean. I often say, if I ever die, no one'11 ever find any dirty clothes belonging to me. I do my best. And I say, thank God every day for it, that I'm able to do it, to say that my eyesight is so bad. But I'm pretty careful. I'm not as smart on my feet as I used to be, but I'm thankful. Why should I complain at my age? ... The doctor told me one time, when he told me I had rheumatism, to swing the clubs. I drive her to them.... I have clubs, and I have skipping rope. I learnt all that when I went to school: dumbbells and clubs and skipping ropes; ropes, tam? bourines, and hoops, flags and everything --drills. We were put through drills. When I was going to school, I wanted to be into everything. And I went and joined them.... (When you were a young girl growing up, did you have a plan--was there something you wanted to be? Something you wanted to do?) No. I liked music--that's all I want? ed. (You had no desire for a special kind of job?) No, no. (Or to train for some? thing?) No, no. And I never thought I'd live to be going on 95. And I often sit here--I suppose it's not right for me to say it--I often say, "Well, our Lord, why do you let me live so long for?" And He doesn't give me any aches or pains, only He took my eye.- sight from me. And I think it's part of my own fault. When I was 90 I had my eye op? erated on and they discovered I only had (sight in) one eye. And that's all I've got, is one eye. My right eye is complete? ly blind. I just have the one eye. That's all I've got. But still, I suppose I should be thankful I'm alive. 'Cause there's a lot of people--like the doctor says--not as old as I am. And he was tell? ing me, "If you'd see them, you'd wonder why you are so good." That's what he used to tell me. And I torment him. I tell him, "You want me to live to be 100. That's why you're so good to me." Dear knows. You never can tell. (Gary: Good for 110, anyway.) No, Gary, I don't want. (A hundred is plenty.) Ninety- five is good enough.... (But you had no special goal.) No. (You weren't encouraged to have a goal.) No, no. (Be a secretary or....) No, no. (Was a goal to be mother and housewife? Was that encouraged? Or was that not even clear?) I didn't do very much work when I was sin? gle. My mother was, "You go sit down and I'll do it. I can do it better than you." So we didn't bother. She was very good for us. She was very good that way to us. But we learned to be tidy, though, and clean. Supposed to be clean and tidy when we were growing up. (Were you on a farm growing up?) No. Till I got 20 years old, and then I came down here. 1914, I got married when I was 20 North Sydney & Sydney Mines We're Working Together to Create the Best Place in Cape Breton to Visit, Live and Work" Sydney Mines and North Sydney Share: The Gateway to Newfoundland Marine Atlantic Ferry Terminal Waterfront Beauty Golf Courses Excellent Beach Northside Community Swimming Pool Mayor Hector oiPersio The Cape Breton Exhibition A Working Shipyard Yacht Club and Marina Facilities & a School System Committed to a Combination of Quality Vocational and Academic Education 'ONEy Mayor Michael White The Northside provides an ideal environment for new industrial groups to join with established local business. Sydney Mines and North Sydney jointly own the NORTHSIDE INDUSTRIAL PARK, with incubator mall and serviced lots. MOST IMPORTANT: Our strength is the people of the Northside. We're a community that welcomes the visitor and encourages those who want to productively establish here. Contact: Norm Smith, Executive Director Toyi yiQ-iQ NORTHSIDE INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION --.- -'.q / y4-40 I O p. O. BOX 276, NORTH SYDNEY, NOVA SCOTIA B2A 3M3 iHH-OOl O The Northside's Active Core of Business and Community Welcomes the Visitor and the New Citizen Alike!

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