Dianna, Mary, Valerie, and the Pussy Willow Plate

I had the pleasure of the company of Valerie Haig-Brown, her sister Mary, and their good friend, Dianna, for tea on a warm and sunny afternoon.

Valerie and Mary had just returned from a week's hike in the mountains of Strathcona Park, an hour's drive from Campbell River.
While the park has a mountain named Haig-Brown, they were hiking elsewhere - this time.

The two sisters, both around 70+ years, are more fit than most people I know and they happily glow with health.
They proceeded to tell me tales of hiking, camping, and having guides who double as the "heavy lifters".

Good to have along, considering Mary broke her collar bone on a previous trip and had to hobble out of the trail after dark, only to overnight at the Strathcona Lodge until someone could deliver her to hospital in the light of day.
Regardless of the 'heavy lifters', I say Brava! girlfriends!
These are resilient women!

Dianna, bless her heart, came by a little later and we brought out the photo albums, plus a small memoir from a lady named Lorraine.
I wrote of Lorraine and her sister Vi in a previous post, about how they just re-discovered each other after over 60 years.
Lorraine was adopted away from her Campbell River birth family at the age of 4 months, when Vi was 4 years old (Mary Haig-Brown, about 10 years old at the time, had wished she could care for the baby).

The memoir was written by Cecil and Rupert Fitzgerald, two brothers growing up in 1915 Campbell River; Cecil was Lorraine's grandfather.
The connection comes full circle yet again: one of Dianna's good friends is Dierdre, another Fitzgerald of whom Lorraine was (of course) unaware. On this warm and sunny afternoon, over tea, they were all brought together in conversation and, a few days later, in person.

I spoke with Lorraine this morning and she breathlessly told me of meeting Dianna and Dierdre and their wonderful time sharing stories, family history, photos, and laughs.
Lorraine always has a smile in her voice, and today was no exception.
She is in touch with her sister Vi every single day, either by email or phone, and they see each other often; there are also plans to spend more time with Dierdre and Dianna.

On another note, there's the Pussy Willow Plate...
Ann Haig-Brown had a particular set of everyday china with Pussy Willows as the pattern. It's less fussy or frilly than most china patterns, something I find quite lovely and charming.

The set here at Haig-Brown House has very few pieces left, and resides on a shelf in the kitchen, apparently close to where Ann kept them in days past.

Here's Valerie with the story of the plate: "Our sister Celie has a cabin along with five others on a small lake in the woods north of Kamloops. When I was there on my way to the coast we visited one of her neighbours one morning. Celie went inside and came out waving the plate with delight. The neighbour man takes great pleasure in feeding the three or four local dogs meals morning and evening (somewhat to the annoyance of their owners). He gives each dog its food on a separate old plate. One of them was the pussy willow plate, so, of course, we rescued it. The man's wife is an "antiquer" and said she would keep an eye out for pussy willow in the future -- there may be more on the way!"

While here, Valerie recounted this tale and, just as dramatically, pulled the plate out of its wrapping upon the story's climax!
Ta-da!
So this is the only dinner plate here of that design, and while it's not of the original set from HBH, it will reside close by.

*Note for all you collector types out there: Please don't think the Haig-Brown House or Museum at Campbell River are collecting the set; we are not.
This was a generous act on the part of Valerie (and the dog and its host!) with a humourous bent, and we are all greatly appreciative. I hope our readers understand that we're not hunting the set down; thank you very much for the interest.

Lastly, I'd like to comment on the charm, grace and ease of Valerie, Mary, and Dianna.
Full of high spirits and jocularity, yet relaxed and great listeners, my visit with them was so very enjoyable. And every story was worth hearing!
Sandra