Thank goodness for Instagram so I can keep track of my own life. If you're interested in following me, look me up as RetroReporter!

My co-worker Heather rappelled down a building!	And I took photos!
I got a hair cut and started pin curling.	I met a new guy. One of his (many) shining attributes is this lovely lady, Daisy.
Said guy also buys me beautiful flowers when I'm sad.	I went home.
Helped throw a tea party with these lovely ladies!	I painted my nails for once
Sometimes I get to go to the zoo for work. It's awesome.	I got in more family time at the Red Deer Run for the Cure!

And there you have it, my September! How was yours?

XO Laurie

Some of you may remember a month or so ago when I posted about my Grandpa Marchant's passing. I'm sad to say that my Grandma Marchant, his wife of nearly 68 years, followed six weeks later on September 9. We are all certain that Grandma died of a broken heart, and we all miss her very much. My Grandpa's health was failing, so I wasn't surprised when my mom phoned me to say that he passed. But my Grandma was in good health and had so many plans that she made with her daughters and grandchildren, but sometimes life has other plans.

I love all my family, but my Grandma - Marion Isobel Marchant (nee Huff), born April 25, 1925 - held a very special place in my heart. She grew up outside of Edmonton (it's now the suburbs) and eventually met my Grandpa here while he was stationed in the Air Force and she was working for the American Army as they built the Alaskan highway. Now that I live in Edmonton and love the 40s, I feel a strong connection to her. She was so beautiful, both inside and out.

Grandma as a secretary with the American Army building the Alaskan Highway during WWII.

One of the last photos of them together, which I took a few weeks before Grandpa died.

My cousin Peggy says that there are still some trees from where Grandma's farm used to be in north Edmonton, and I am going to take a trip up there to visit them soon.

The pain is still very raw and sometimes I forget that she's gone, but I have a lot to remember her by. I wore one of her brooches to her funeral, which mom said I could keep.


Grandma also told me last winter that she wanted me to have the compact Grandpa gave them on their first Christmas together. I didn't realize I would get it so soon, but I will treasure it always. Mom also gave me one of Grandma's teapots (which was a wedding present in 1944), a tea cup, a vase, a sugar doily, Grandma's sewing things, one of her faux pearl necklaces, a jewellery roll and Grandpa's Legion cap. Auntie Val also gave me some of Grandma's sheets. I feel very lucky to have gotten so many things to remember them by!

Tea cup, sugar bowl doily, tea strainer, tea pot from 1944, vase

Tea cup detail

Grandpa's Legion cap, faux pearl necklace, jewellery roll, compact

 My Grandma was a meticulous note taker and lots of things were labelled!

"Bill gave this compact to me for Christmas 1944 - Marion"

I miss my grandma so much but I am very thankful for the time we spent together, and also thankful that I have a wonderful and strong family in times like these.

xo Laurie

Growing up in Saskatchewan, I feel that I had several hometowns. Flaxcombe was where we get our mail and is the closest to us; I tell people I'm from the Kindersley-area when they ask me where I'm from; Marengo is where I went to all 13 years of school; and Alsask is where we went to church and I worked as a teen.

Yellow is my farm // Alsask is the blue marker on the far left, the white line is the Sask/Alberta border

In terms of photos, Alsask is the most interesting as it is an abandoned Canadian Forces Detachment. It was opened in 1963 as part of the NORAD Pinetree Line (a full list of sites is here) during the Cold War. The base comprised of three radar towers, a school, pool, barracks and mobile homes, and a rec centre with a bowling alley, snack shop, arcade and beauty parlor - among other things. The detachment was disbanded in 1987 and the radar tower became a designated historical site in 2002.

When the base was active, it was huge. The base had it's own school for a while, but when my dad went to school (the same as me, in Marengo) in the 70s, the base kids went to Westcliffe (and dad said they were pretty cliquey). Actually, I think all the towns in the school area were pretty big - my dad's graduating class in the 70s had about 30 kids, compared to my graduating class of 6.

Alsask itself as a hamlet of the R.M. still exists with homes and a church and a few businesses (like the best Chinese food I have ever had!) but all that remains at the base are a few buildings, all abandoned with a very creepy, distopian aura. I worked at the Gopher Dip Pool (which I think is closed now due to a boiler fire but I'm not 100% sure) and I hated being the last one to lock up at night. It was so creepy being there in day, let alone at night (but I'm a scardey-cat).

When I was home for the weekend I took the time to stop in Alsask to take some photos of the base before carrying on into Alberta. I would love to go in the buildings to do photos like what you would see on How To Be A Retronaut but I would want to be accompanied by someone who knows about the base (and I'd need permission from the R.M. too).

Entrance building

The Gopher Dip Pool

Back of the pool, radar tower in the distance

Administration building

Administration building

Recreation Centre with bowling alley, snack shack etc.

Abandoned playground

One of a few mobile homes still standing

Driveway to nowhere.

Another playground

Tumbleweed Chapel

the Retirement Villa

Craft centre / baseball diamond

Craft Centre

Barracks

Barracks

The Radar Tower